Collision of Futures Past
by nitevampyres
Summary: When Maia, a 20 something nurse, is snatched away from her blissfully dull life and magically deposited into the world of her favorite game, Dragon Age, she finds a harrowing voyage of self discovery in the untamed lands of Fereldan. Can she survive in a world where the Blight's threat is all too real? Or will her life end before it begins? Find out, in.. Collision of Futures Past
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Chapter 1**

"...and so the Blight is defeated..."

"That's all?" she thought to herself. "After weeks of playing this game and that's the ending I get? I don't even get to marry Alistair," she sighed.

She placed her controller on the table and switched off her PS3 and TV. The feeling of exhaustion crept in as she thought of other things to occupy her life with.

Maia, a lady in her twenties lives alone in a one bedroom apartment in the city. She has never known who her real parents are and her adoptive parents passed away 2 years ago, leaving most of her life a mystery. With no adoptive relatives and no clues about her origins, she focuses her life on her work. She works full time as a nurse in a major hospital and it occupies most of her time but when she gets home, that's where the loneliness is felt the most. However, Maia is an introvert who prefers the calmness of home no matter how lonely she gets.

"Maybe I should get out of the city for a while. Hawaii or France or possibly even the Bahamas. I'll be on 3 weeks leave anyway. It's probably time I do something for myself for a change. Who knows, I might find my own Alistair out there." Grinning, Maia adjusts her loose black curls in the mirror. "No. Who am I kidding? Even if he does exist, he won't notice me." She tied her hair up in a ponytail and crawled under her covers, images of Dragon Age slips though her mind as she slowly drifts off.

Maia awoke to a loud peal of thunder. She jumped out of her bed to quickly close her window. Even though she only leaves one window open in her apartment, when it rains, everything gets soaked.

"Hmm, maybe I was dreaming. Or maybe it was something I ate," thought Maia as she looked out to the clear night sky with only the moon and 3 stars visible to the naked eye as the bright city lights polluted the sky. "Well, I might as well get ready for work, only 10 more minutes before the alarm rings."

As she stepped into the shower, she kept seeing flashes of the Archdemon. The Archdemon, in all of its unholy glory, ragged wings extended, dead eyes burning with evil and a distorted face with rows of razor sharp teeth beckoned her closer with its gnarled and blood stained claws. "I played too much Dragon Age," muttered Maia. The cold shower hits her like a brick wall and washed away all traces of her visions.

Maia kept hearing the rumbling of thunder as she was getting dressed, promises of an imminent storm. "I had better bring an umbrella today," she mumbled to herself as she smeared some strawberry jam on a slice of bread. Suddenly a loud clap of thunder was heard, shaking the whole apartment.

Unease crept in at her from the shadowed areas of the kitchen, turning into icy fear as she noticed a flickering from the corner of her eye, which in turn changed to downright terror as she turned toward the disturbance. Maia could see light coming from the direction of her bedroom. Bright, chaotic flashes of white, red and blue light strobe and danced on the wall opposite her bedroom door as if inviting her closer. Step by small, creeping step Maia took, trembling in fear as she wonders is she is going to die by being brave and if anyone would miss her if she does die? Nonetheless, her curiosity forces her to inch closer to the unknown, to the evil that may await her. So, she started humming a tune from Star Wars in her head to keep her going. While toying with the idea that Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker was having a light saber fight.

The beautiful lights got brighter and prettier as she got closer, her fingers gently on the edge, slowly peeking around the corner. Her eyes grew in wonder at what she saw: An open doorway in the middle of her bedroom, with gentle and colorful swirls of lights softly flowing out of it.

Braver but no less curious, Maia stepped out from the corner and made bold strides towards the door. The lights felt warm and welcoming as if embracing her like a lover. She reached towards this inviting wonder, and felt jolts of energy running from the tips of her fingers up to the rest of her body. It was very refreshing and rejuvenating. She had never felt so alive, so happy, so... invigorated.

Suddenly, a bloody, deformed and sharply clawed hand thrust out from beyond the lights of the door and dragged her in. With Such an expected turn of events, there was no time for Maia to register what was happening to her as she was snatched in. The once beautiful and welcoming lights now turned fiery red and the mysterious door disappears, leaving everything as it was as if nothing ever happened.


	2. Chapter 2: The Tower

**Chapter 2**

"No more, Uldred, your evil ways end here," the warden elf commanded as she plunged her dagger into his heart and twisted the blade. As she ripped it free, she could feel his warm and viscous blood oozing over her torn leather gloves and dripping to the floor. Uldred slumped down into his own pool of blood, eyes open wide, but unseeing as he descended into the eternal darkness of death. The victorious warden pulled her dagger out and wiped it clean on the corpse's clothing. No point letting her blade rust because of the abomination's blood. She turned around to find Wynne cradling First Enchanter Irving while a blue light glowed around him. The other mages trapped in Uldred's magical prison broke free and were slowly getting up with the help of her companions. Alistair swung his blade through the neck of the last of the abominations, its' head cleanly parting company from its' body, arcing high into the air with a spray of blood, and landing with a sodden thud.

"A good day's work," she lets out with a sigh of relief. "I wonder if all severed heads fall face up?" she thought to herself, feeling slightly amused by her own black humor. Her momentary peace was shattered when Morrigan called out.

"Sarine, tis a strange person lying here. Does not look dead to me, yet the feeling of normality is absent as well."

That caught everyone's attention and carefully they limped and walked over to Morrigan. Sarine, the warden elf, knelt down beside the unconscious person, a female with curly, black hair covering her face. She was wearing thin blue clothes with numerous pockets, with a pouch clutched tightly in her hand.

"She's a woman, is she not?" Sten asked. "Is she dangerous?"

"A human female, yes," replied Sarine calmly, while closely inspecting the stranger. "I doubt she is harmful though. First Enchanter, is she one of your mages?" Sarine asked as she pushes back the soft curls behind her ears, revealing her face.

Hond, Sarine's mabari war hound, barked; nudging and licking the stranger's face. "Well, at least Hond agrees that she is not a threat," Sarine said.

"I'm afraid she is not of my circle, warden. I do not recognize her," Irving said and he inched forward and to study her face better.

"Is there anything anyone knows of her? If not, we shall leave her to your care, First Enchanter, if it's not too much of a bother." Sarine pried the pouch from her hand, causing a reaction from the stranger but not enough to wake her up.

"Uldred summoned her. The veil was so thin that it was broken very easily and then there she was, so trusting and naive." The impromptu speech caught everyone off guard as they looked around for the source.

"What are you talking about? Be specific!" Alistair grabbed the male mage beside him by his left arm so tightly that the hapless mage winced, his hand turned blue from poor circulation.

"He said..." the mage started to loose balance and clung onto Alistair." He said that he needed us to tear open the veil to her world. Through this portal, we could escape and lead a free life. No chantry, no templars , and no other mages to stop us; Freedom." He blinked and looked about, dazed as if unsure of the events that had taken place. Alistair pushed him to the floor, disgusted.

"I remember now, the promised freedom.. It was a tempting, sweet and attainable reality which enticed the weak to join him. Yes, I remember it well. Warden, as you broke yourself and your companions free from the fade, he felt his power waning. As you came to, he decided to deal with you first, thus dragging her here to enable another portal to be reopened at a later time," explained Irving as he searched about for any other wounded in need of aid, after feeling rejuvenated from Wynne's healing spell.

"She is far away from her home then," Leliana knelt down beside Sarine. "We cannot leave her here. We need to send her back. You! Do you remember how to open up the portal?" She pointed to the mage who had spoken up earlier.

His reply faded to a gurgle, as his whole frame began to twitch with odd twisting movements. He bent forward, crying out in agonized terror as his hands deformed with a sharp crackle of displacing bones. They sprouted claws, even as half his face melted, as if acid was poured over it. With the horrible transformation complete, a new abomination stood in place of the luckless mage. Sten who was closed by, thrust his blade into his abdomen and sliced him in two, bringing a quick, painful end to the traitor and Sten just stood there, as if what he did was nothing.

"Is that really important? She is but a victim of poorly trained mages. This would not happen in Par Vollen. Her problem is of no concern to us." Sten voiced his logic.

"If we cannot fully help her, the least we could do is find someone who can. Can't you render her aid, First Enchanter? I cannot imagine awakening in an unknown world, surrounded by strangers. I mean, being alone is bad enough, but here during a blight, it must be terrifying. Imagine what she must have been through. She has probably never lain eyes upon a demon in her whole life, only to come face to face with Uldred?" Alistair shudders at the thought.

"It would have seemed that this girl's predicament has touched you dearly, Alistair. Or was your brain left behind in the fade? Does your head feel lighter? Have your wits finally abandoned you fully?" Morrigan asked sarcastically. "I agree with Sten. She is of no concern to our quest, thus leaving her here is the obvious solution." Morrigan stood beside Sten, hands on her hip.

Alistair gave her a cold hard stare while he thought of a fitting rebuttal. Leliana argued back, agreeing with Alistair, making it a point to say that it was the Maker's will that they help those in need. The debate went on and on, with each side providing valid points until Sarine decided to put an end to it.

"Enough. We are wasting time. First Enchanter, can you help? Yes or no?" she asked firmly.

"Unfortunately I cannot. It was forbidden blood magic that brought her here and it is something I would not do," he sighed.

"What a surprise." Morrigan remarked and turned away.

"What about that mage we met at Redcliffe? He dabbles in blood magic and we can force him to help us," suggested Alistair with hope twinkling in his eyes.

"A blood mage outside of the Circle? An apostate?" queried Wynne, eyes widening.

"I believe they speak of Jowan. It was he who escaped a few weeks ago by using blood magic," Irving replied calmly.

"Him? Are you sure you want his help? You might as well sacrifice her to the archdemon." Wynne looked away feeling frustrated, for she had never condoned the usage of blood magic, no matter how dire the circumstances.

"Actually, he's the reason why we are here. We require your assistance, First Enchanter. A young boy in Redcliffe whom Jowan was guiding is possessed by a demon. It has claimed countless men and women in the castle and raises them into shambling horrors at night to plague the village," explained Sarine.

"Oh Maker, are the villagers safe?" Wynne's anger diminished as worriedness overcame her.

"Yes, Wynne, in fact we managed to save all who survived in the village and we were able to talk to the demon," Sarine said.

"With no help from the templars," snorted Morrigan, folding her arms.

Sarine ignored Morrigan's remark as she tried to explain to Irving that they needed to kill the demon but the boy must not perish, since he is the only son to Arl Eamon, the Arl of Redcliffe, who has been poisoned by Jowan. Irving and Wynne gasped at the implication that The Arl's son,Connor, is a mage.

"Mages should be in the Circle, here they learn to control their powers and prevent from any demon possessions." Irving said.

"More like trapped in a prison with nowhere else to go, to await an untimely death, or to be coerced into becoming a tranquil. Indeed, the Circle does great things for mages." Morrigan was getting frustrated. Her dislike for the chantry and the Circle, along with her appreciation for Flemeth's ability to keep them at bay grew with every new bit of information about them that she uncovered. Any feelings of sympathy for the templars who may have been killed was completely gone. In fact, she now wanted to wipe them all out.

Irving applauded them for looking beyond the easiest solution when dealing with this possession. Furthermore, he confirmed that the demon needs to be vanquished in the fade in order to keep the boy alive. He decided that they need to hurry to Redcliffe as soon as possible, due to the extreme urgency of the situation.

As they were discussing the necessary items and needed supplies, the stranger stirred, "Wha.. what happened to me?"


	3. Chapter 3: Stranger Introduced

**Chapter 3**

"Wha..What happened to me?" mumbled the stranger. Everyone just looked at her, holding their breath, curious as to her next move. "Where am I?" She looked up to see strange, unfamiliar faces once more. She remembered the hideous , slavering demons and scrambled backwards until she hit a wall. "Stay back, all of you! Whatever you are, I'm armed!" Her eyes filled with terror as she fumbled around her pockets, cursing at the sheer number of them.

"Are you looking for this?" Sarine dangled the pouch in front of her.

"How did you get that? Give it back right… no, no, stay away. Don't hurt me please." Her demands turned to pleas as Sarine approached, the elven warden's pointed ears coming into sharp focus within her panic stricken mind. As her pleas turned to sobbing, she folded her knees up, burying her head in between them and rocked backwards and forwards. She kept wishing that this is all but a nightmare. "Wake up, wake up, wake up…" they could hear her say amidst the crying.

"Shh…Calm down my child," Wynne cast a calming spell on her and slowly approach. "We mean you no harm. There, there, hush now. My name is Wynne, what may I call you?" She asked motherly as she crouched down beside her and gently place her hands on the stranger's back and knees.

The stranger jerked slightly but did not pull away from her touch; in fact Wynne reminded the stranger of her own mother whom she wished was with her at this very moment. She relaxed and took deep breaths and suddenly, memories of her abduction flashed before her very eyes; something she wanted to forget entirely. Her whole body began to shake furiously.

Wynne sensed fear intensifying in the stranger and decided to cast another spell on her. "You are safe now, do not be afraid. We are here to help you. What is your name, child?" Wynne comforted her, treating her like her own daughter.

Sobbing slightly, she slowly and cautiously lifts her head up to face the kind voice, "Maia. My name is Maia." Her eyes red and face pale as a sheet.

Her response was welcomed with a smile from Wynne. Maia felt so much better after seeing that it was not another trick by a demon this time. Everyone began to take cautious, unthreateningly slow steps towards the pair. Maia saw their approach out of the corner of her eye and clung onto Wynne's arm, hiding her face behind her.

"Do not fret Maia. They are my friends. We have destroyed the evil creatures that brought you here," Wynne began coaxing Maia out from hiding. "Come, let me introduce them to you."

"This is Grey Warden Sarine. She is the one who has slain the leader of the abominations."

"Here, this belongs to you," Sarine handed Maia her pouch. "Thank you," Maia whispered.

"And this is handsome young man is also a Grey Warden, Alistair," Wynne continued.

"Some might even claim I am the most dashing man in all of the Fereldan. Pleased to meet you Maia," Alistair flashed a charming smile even though he was covered in blood.

As Wynne continued with the introductions, Maia felt a sharp pain in her head as she began to digest the new information. It was as if her brain had to work doubly hard to piece things together so that it all made sense. When Wynne explained that she is currently at the Tower of the Circle of Magi, a bright light switched on in Maia's head.

"Wait a minute, Grey Wardens? Mages? Oh my goodness! Are you telling me that I am in Fereldan? As in Dragon Age, the game?" Maia blurted out in disbelief, hands covering her mouth as she realized how absurd it must have sounded.

"Tis enough! Not only did she insult us by calling us 'whatevers', she is now insinuating that our lives are part of a game? That the dangers we went and will be going through is all but a child's imagined fancy? I shall not be a part of this nonsense." Morrigan was furious as she stormed off.

"Morrigan! Wait! Leliana, make sure she doesn't harm anyone, please," Sarine asked, shaking her head, wondering why she agreed to become the leader of this sometimes volatile group.

"It was nice to meet you, Maia," Leliana smiled and ran after Morrigan.

"Don't mind her. She has a cold stone for a heart and the sharpest of daggers for her tongue," Alistair tried to alleviate the tension which was heavily weighing down on everyone.

"I don't. Please, I didn't mean it that way. I'm so sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings..." This was not how she had ever pictured meeting her favorite characters would be like.

"It is okay. We know that you are not from our world. But beyond that, we are clueless. Please enlighten us," Sarine took Maia by her hand and helped her up.

Maia held her breath, trying not to let her emotions take over her. She explained to them about her horrifying experience as they walked down to Irving's personal sanctum. Everyone remained silent as they try to process the information.

Once there, everyone helped clear up the mess and sat down, awaiting for the next command. The silence was broken when Leliana waltzed in with Morrigan, who has seemed to have her anger and indignation under control once more.

"Ah, very good, everyone has arrived. I want to explain what had transpired so far from the information that I've gathered; Uldred, who became crazed for power, used blood magic to take over the council and, by the help of willing mages, he created a portal to Maia's world and as the rest of you escaped from the fade, he drew Maia through in the hopes that she can be used to reopen the portal once more after eliminating the threat your group posed. The door that you saw, Maia, is that portal and it was Uldred who pulled you in. However, those visions you had of the Archdemon, I cannot truly say that it is him because it might just be your mind playing a trick on you seeing that you know much of our world through your game. However Maia, the blight is not a game. The situation you are currently in is very much real, the consequences dire, and dangers lurk everywhere. You will need to act with the utmost care; we wouldn't want you to die now, would we? We offer to help you as much as we may. Therefore I have thought of the best solution for you: We shall travel to Redcliffe to save Connor first after which we will question Jowan as to whether he knows of a way to get you home." Irving stood up and motioned Sarine and Wynne to follow him as they walked out deep in discussion.

Morrigan had kept shooting glances at Maia from across the room, who had managed to thus far avoid everyone's gaze by looking down at her pouch. Her constant tampering with her pouch peaked Morrigan's curiosity. "What is that thing you keep toying with?" she asked as she glided over to Maia.

"Yes, what is it? Does it hold your weapon? I remember you were threatening us with one," Leliana flashed a smile with one eye brow raised as she too hurried towards Maia.

"Oh, this? It's just a pouch I keep my work things in. I was preparing for work when this all began. And as for a weapon, well, these scissors are quite sharp and seeing that there is nothing else to defend myself with, they were my only choice," she sighed as she took her nursing scissors out.

"Wow. Those may be painful, but hardly deadly. However, we fix that, for you will need a more suitable weapon if you are to be travelling with us," Leliana chuckled as she examined the tiny scissors.

"No, I think perhaps a haphazard haircut on your enemies might be lethal enough to cause deaths filled with agony," quipped Alistair as he too sat closer to her.

That caused both Leliana and Maia to laugh. Alistair felt good that he was able to cheer her up. She must be feeling terribly lonely right now. He caught himself staring at Maia, thinking that she has such a beautiful smile and a laugh that could light up the darkest room. He cleared his throat and stood up so that the others could not see his blushing face.

Of course, Morrigan, being the observant person she is, saw him blushing and had already concluded the reason for it. She snorted and turned around, "I agree, you will need a better weapon and I suggest that you follow Leliana's advice lest Alistair might give you a little decorative bow for you scissors," and she glided away, leaving the trio laughing at her suggestion.

"Hey..," Alistair said when he realizes the Morrigan was making fun of him but she has already left the room. So he decided to let that one slip since it cheered Maia up and right now, that is all that mattered. Once again, he felt a hot, burning sensation sweep across his face.

Sarine poked her head in and ordered them to get their supplies and weaponry. They acknowledged and giggled and laughed as they make their way to the entrance of the tower. Maia was actually relieved that things were turning out alright after the disastrous introductions earlier.

As the troop was busy preparing themselves, a templar came running up to Sarine.

"Grey Warden! May I have a word with you?" Sarine turned to find the templar standing directly before her, his helmet tucked under one arm. "My name is Cullen and I desire to join the Grey Wardens."


	4. Chapter 4: Cue Cullen

_Hi everyone. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my readers and those who have reviewed, favorite and followed my humble depiction of DA:O. I apologize for the one day delay as I was busy with family commitments. I hope that you will continue to enjoy my story and that the next chapter is already in the works. Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support. Have a good week ahead!_

**Chapter 4**

The human templar stood overshadowing Sarine, but she held her ground like the leader she is and glared into his eyes. "Do you understand the gravity of your request, templar?" Sarine questioned without blinking.

The whole room was silent; everyone was frozen to their spots wondering what had gotten into the templar. But before he could answer, Knight Commander Greagoir marched in with heavy steps and quick breaths. He looked like an enraged ogre storming the embattlements.

"Don't you dare accept him, Warden! He is under my command and will remain to be until he is either dismissed or dead." Greagoir's resonating voice bellowed in the windowless room.

Sarine was not intimidated, she faced Greagoir who had stormed up to stand in front of her and said with an authoritative voice, "I was as shocked at his offer as you are, _Commander_. As a matter of fact, I was about to enlighten him about what being a Grey Warden meant." She folded her arms and turned back to glare at Cullen.

"If the others hadn't informed me of his plan, would you have accepted him, Warden, without my knowledge?" Greagoir's annoyance, evident to all present, had now spilt over to Sarine.

"I would not have, Commander. Being a leader myself, I know better than to accept his offer right away. Though I must admit, we do need all the help we can get to overcome this blight. I would have conferred with you first before making any decision. I deserve at least that much credit, Commander." Sarine did not back down and even though she was but half of the human male's size, she seemed not in the least diminished. Indeed, it seemed to all eyes that the elven Warden towered over Greagoir!

Sarine exuded such authority and charisma that Greagoir concluded she deserved his respect as a leader. Cullen was quick to apologize for causing a commotion and misunderstanding between Greagoir and Sarine. He went on to explain that he wasn't going to have empty discussions with Greagoir about him joining the Grey Wardens if they decide not to accept him.

Greagoir knew that Cullen was right. It would only cause unnecessary apprehension knowing that one of his own would want to put himself in a more perilous situation especially when he sees Cullen as his own son.

"Well, do you accept him, Warden?" Greagoir asked in a much softer tone.

"As I said before, the Grey Wardens need all the help we can get, wherever we can get it, but there are some things you need to know, Cullen. When you become a recruit, you will have to leave your past behind and be willing to work with anyone, including mages. You must fight alongside them and protect them as I know that they would do the same for you. And if anything untoward were to happen to them, it will be _me_ who will deal the final blow. Furthermore, you cannot undermine my authority. Is that clear?" Sarine said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Cullen took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

"Good, one last question before I decide. Why do you want to join us? I saw how fearful you were back there. What changed?" Sarine asked.

Cullen took another deep breath while considering his answer. "I had a vision and in it, I heard the Maker telling me that I am destined to join the Grey Wardens. I…" Before he could continue a loud squeal was heard; it was Leliana.

"Oh Andraste, I had the same vision too!" she ran towards Cullen, forgetting that she was holding on to Maia's hand as she dragged her along in her excitement. "Please say you'll accept him, Sarine. There is nothing nobler than to follow the Maker's will," Leliana pleaded.

"You can't disagree with that." Maia muttered.

"What about you, Maia? Did you see this coming?" Sarine wondered if Maia knew about this since she has already been through it in her 'game'.

"Unfortunately, Sarine, this is news to me too," Maia put her hands up, surrendering to the change.

"Well, with everything that has happened, I guess it is inevitable that new paths and new allies will be made. Cullen, I accept you as a Warden recruit, but," Sarine quickly held up a hand to forestall anything the suddenly excited templar might say, "_only _if your Commander agrees to it." Sarine pronounces.

"Like your fiery haired friend here says, nothing is nobler than to follow the Maker's will. Cullen, may the Maker turn his gaze on you always, and remember that you have a place here no matter what happens," Greagoir approved and set his hand on Cullen's shoulder. Cullen nodded and bowed to show his appreciation.

Leliana squealed for joy and hugged Sarine, she tried to hug Cullen but with his quick reflexes, he managed to deflect her with his shield so she hugged Maia instead.

After freeing herself from Leliana's impromptu embrace, Maia whispered in Sarine's ear, "You know Sarine, there should be another new companion joining us."

"Grey Warden, I would like to offer my services to you. I believe that not only would my skills be proved useful; I am also confident that my experience will come in very handy in your quest. Furthermore, the tower is safe now and they can rebuild without me." Wynne announced as she strolled into the room, having missed the drama that had recently taken place.

"Yup, she's the one and before you ask, no, there shouldn't be any more volunteers from here," Maia spoke quietly; making sure that only Sarine could hear.

Sarine pondered if having Maia along will be like having a fortune teller, or perhaps an Oracle, but she decided that it was too late and she is too exhausted to put up a fight with, or about, Wynne. She took faith in Maia's whispered announcement and agreed to Wynne's request. She then ordered everyone to get a good nights' rest, for they will be departing at the break of dawn.


	5. Chapter 5: Cruise liner

**Chapter 5**

Maia was woken up by Leliana, who was excited at the prospect of travelling with three new companions. Sarine and Alistair had already left the room they had all shared the night before, and Wynne wasn't there, either. Maia concluded that they must be finalizing their strategy. She quickly donned her armor, with quite a lot of help from Leliana with the unfamiliar straps and buckles, but found herself feeling very uncomfortable in her new set of gear. She has never considered herself pretty, and the plunging neckline and short skirt of her leather amour made her even more self-conscious. To add on to her existing worries, she didn't want to appear awkward in front of the others. As she anxiously walked out the room with Leliana, pulling up her collar and tugging on her skirt, she saw Alistair in conference with Sarine, Wynne and Irving. He turned around and saw Maia; he flashed his charming smile and waved her to him. She grinned broadly and felt her face flush as she realized that Alistair, the warrior whom she has been having dreams about meeting, was pleased to see her. Her heart skipped a beat, as butterflies started doing backflips in her tummy. She forgot about her gawkiness and skipped to his side.

"Are you feeling alright, Maia?" Wynne asked as she approached, taking note of the flushed redness of Maia's face. "You look feverish."

Maia placed both her hands on her cheeks to hide her face, pretending to feel her temperature, "No, I'm fine. I guess I'm just thrilled about the journey," she replied as she listened intently to the plans unfolding in the discussion before her.

Irving nodded and reminded Maia that the threat of the Blight is quite real, that constant vigilance is a must. He advised her not to stray from the group and to take cover when they are under attack. Leliana volunteered to be her personal trail guide, and further promised to take good care of her. Everyone agreed that Leliana was a good fighter and her skills with a bow were well known for being quite devastating, as she could take down even an ogre before the beast could draw near to her. Plus, she and Maia seem to be getting along famously.

Maia was thankful that Leliana had taken to her; she had always wished she had a sister and now, she does. She hugged Leliana and promised not to get in her way.

"Is everyone all set?" Sarine asked, making sure that they had their equipment ready. "Good, now I want everyone to be careful out there and don't be a hero. Let's work together as a team and watch each other's back. I want everyone alive." Her leadership skill was impressive, confirming to Alistair that he had made the right choice in electing her to lead.

As Sarine opened the huge doors with some help from Sten, they were greeted to a spectacular scenery as the morning light was just beginning to fall across the lake, causing the waters to glitter as if every diamond in Fereldan were captured just under the surface. The boat bound for Redcliffe was already awaiting them at the single dock. Maia and Leliana were walking behind everyone else when Maia pulled on Leliana's hand and whispered in her ears, "I can't swim."

Leliana let out a gasp and everyone turned to them. Sarine looked at Maia with a look that demanded her to share the secret. Leliana covered her mouth and muttered an apology to Maia for her strong response. Maia looked down and shook her head. She held her breath, looked up and announced, determined not to be embarrassed, "I cannot swim and I cannot even float. I almost drowned in a lake near my late foster parent's summer house and I haven't been near any large bodies of water ever since. I just wanted to let you know in case I fall off the boat, or if it springs a leak, please don't let me drown. That would suck pretty badly." She pushed her way through the group, ignoring the gawking and stopped in front of the boat. Her courage vanished as quickly as it appeared and now she couldn't bring herself to board the boat.

"Feeling fear is only human, though I recommend that you sit next to Alistair. He would make a very good floatation device." Morrigan snickered as she sauntered over to the boat and took her sit in the front.

"I would gladly be your float, dear Maia," Alistair gave Maia a courtly bow, as though she was royalty, making her giggle.

His answer was received with approval from everyone except Morrigan, who was now sulking: Which meant that Alistair had won this round and felt very proud of for thinking of such a good response. In his heart, he knew he would not let anything happen to Maia even if that meant being used as a buoy, though he would surely sink like a rock with his heavy metal armor on. Perhaps she could stand on his head, thus saving herself at least, he mused as the others boarded the boat. Irving expressed that he himself did not know how to swim and reassured Maia that a levitation spell can easily take care of that. Maia felt much better.

The journey to Redcliffe took two nights and the waters were surprisingly calm. Only one of the mages that Irving brought with him had sea sickness. The poor fellow quickly became a constant fixture at the port side railing, and was mostly green throughout the journey. No amount of magic could help the hapless mage.

Maia was even getting along wonderfully with her new companions, discovering new sides to them that she didn't know.

On the second night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Leliana whispered to Maia, "So, you're telling me that you have been through this in your 'game'? Does that mean you know everyone's secret?"

"Yes, well, I've learned quite a bit of new information that the game didn't provide and Cullen joining us was a huge surprise for me. But the basic secrets, yes, I do know about them, however, I was taught that other people's secrets are for them to reveal. If I remember correctly, you have yet to tell everyone about your background, don't worry though; your secret is safe with me." Maia winked.

"I am glad that you trust me with your life even though you know about my past." Leliana looked up at the moon and stars.

"I believed in you when I was in my world and nothing can change that. I've always been the only child and there was so many times that I wish my real family would come for me, to tell me that I have a sister. Now I think my wish has been granted." Maia gave Leliana a sisterly hug. Leliana smiled and nodded in agreement, calling her little Mai.

The next morning, Wynne whipped up a hearty breakfast and everyone had their fill, laughing and talking over the meal. Sarine was relieved that her band of misfits was getting along well. She made a mental note to sit down alone with Maia to extract every bit of information she could. If she indeed knows how this whole situation will turn out, there must be something that they can use to their advantage. She even toyed with the idea of keeping Maia a bit longer, until the Blight is over. She was deep in her thoughts when Cullen called out, "There ahead, on the docks, darkspawn!"

Sarine took charge and readied everyone, ordering Maia to stay back, close to Leliana. She then ordered Irving and his mages to first enchant everyone's weapons, then to ready elemental spells, to unleash them only if scoring a solid hit upon the members of the darkspawn horde awaiting them was assured.

Maia felt as though her heart was beating a thousand miles an hour, and she was about to wretch out her breakfast from earlier. She saw her first darkspawn in the flesh and she wished that she was back at home with a game controller in her hand. Though the game itself had excellent graphics, there was no way it could convey the pervasive sense of evil she felt whenever one of the creatures' gazes sweep across her, searching for the easiest prey.

Flashes of light and streaks of darkness screamed across the distance between the groups as the boat drew them closer to the landing, splashing down among the dark horde, dropping the howling beasts in their tracks. Lightning came down from the sky to dance among them, leaving smoking carcasses in its wake. A few of them were even frozen solid, only to be shattered by arrows loosed from Leliana's deadly bow. As they drew even nearer, they were attacked in turn by the darkspawn's own spells, as well as arrows fired from the crude bows some of the monsters held. One of Irving's mages was frozen solid and Alistair barely had time bring up his shield before the glittering, iced over mage, to intercept arrows from three separate darkspawn seeking to emulate the companions' strategy of shattering the frozen opponents.

"An emissary! Find him and slay him!" Sarine roared as she jumped off the boat to commence hand to hand combat. Sten, Morrigan, Cullen and Hond were right behind her. A commotion of shouts and screams, spells and arrows, ringing of blade on blade, and the final screams of the vanquished overwhelmed Maia. She covered her head and cowered in the corner. This is all too much for her.

The noises were silencing down and Maia slowly raised her head to assess the situation. As she looked around at the carnage covering the battlefield, her eyes made contact with the hurlock emissary and everything else seemed to slow down as the din of battle became merely background noise, Maia's vision coming into hyper focus on the burning eyes of the hideous, manlike creature. "Join us or die, Maia. You… URK!" Its' pronouncement turned into a rasping hiss, as the emmisary's eyes suddenly widened in pain. As it dropped to its' knees, a dagger could be seen sticking out of the creatures' back, with Sarine standing directly behind it, the dagger in her hand a twin of the one planted between the hurlock's shoulders. It coughed out great gouts of black, viscous blood before falling face first to the ground, with a terrible finality.

"Maia!" Alistair shouted as he grabbed her by her arm, spinning her around and shielding them both from an oncoming arrow that was aimed right at Maia's head.


	6. Chapter 6: They talk?

_I would like to thank everyone for your continued support and reviews. It is such a wonderful boost. I would also like to apologize for the delay as I was down with food poisoning. I hope that you will enjoy this chapter. _

Sarine stood grimly over the hurlock and knew in the back of her head that this is the first battle of many to come with the darkspawn. She then proceeded to order whoever is able to scavenge for usable and valuable items. She bent down and rummaged in its' pocket and found ten gold pieces and wondered how could such items be in their possession; did the archdemon pay them monthly salaries and did they go on a shopping spree buying pretty clothes and drink lots of ale to celebrate their kills or maybe, perhaps the most logical but not humorous answer is that they were just attracted to shiny things. She sighed as she gave up from trying to pry a wand from the emissary's hand and decided to sever it instead. She then passed it to Morrigan as she walked past, "Here, see if you want this."

Morrigan scoffed and threw the hand aside after discreetly hiding the wand, thinking to herself, "Tis a waste to let a good piece of wand to rot among these horrendous creatures. It will be of greater use with me."

Sarine had been picturing darkspawns wearing fluffy pink dresses ever since she wondered about their shopping spree when she her ears picked up faint sobs coming from the boat. Leliana was bent over Alistair who had Maia in his arms. She stomped over the dead darkspawn to get to them remembering how Maia had stood up during the battle transfixed on something.

"I failed her, she was almost killed. What kind of an older sister am I? Little Mai, I'm sorry, please be alright," she gently stroked Maia's hair but she was miles away.

Maia felt numb and felt that her body didn't belong to her. She shut her eyes tight and wished really hard that when she open her eyes, she will be back home in her bed and all of this would be nothing but a dream.

Alistair could feel Maia shaking in his arms and knew he had to do something. He passed Leliana his shield and sword and scooped Maia in his strong arms and carried her to Wynne. He hoped that she would know what to do; she managed to calm Maia down at the tower.

As Alistair was disembarking the boat, being very careful not to rattle her head on his armor, Sarine yelled out to him, "What was she doing standing up in the boat when I specifically ordered her to lay low? Oh my, is she dead?" Sarine said in annoyance but anxious as well because there were still so many questions she needed to ask and Maia cannot die. She is her secret weapon against the archdemon.

Maia could hear mumblings and shuffling of feet around her but choose to ignore them. Instead she focused on the strong arms that were holding her and his heartbeat. It was slow and steady and very calming, just like her metronome at home. She could hear Beethoven's Fur Elise in the background as she pictured herself playing the electric piano with Alistair by her side.

"Give her some space, Sarine. Can't you see that she is in shock?" Alistair said in a firm voice as he sat down with Maia still in his arms.

Sarine paced up and down thinking of a better battle strategy that will not put her oracle in harms' way.

"She is proving to be a liability and will slow us down. Even now she is just staring into space and wasting valuable daylight. Is your decision to bring her along wise, Grey Warden?" Sten was examining a great sword and making sure that the blade was sharp enough for him to exchange it.

"The Qunari makes sense, Sarine. Either we abandon her here or we leave to her own fate the next time we face the darkspawn. Only the strongest and crafty should survive." Morrigan voiced.

Alistair and Leliana thought that was a cruel and selfish suggestion and before long they were at it again, arguing over Maia when she pulled onto Alistair's arm, whispering, "Do darkspawn talk?"

"What?" Alistair looked down at her, held up his hand to end the fight and held her closer. "No, Maia, as far as I know, they do not speak, well, not in our language. I'm sure they understand each other perfectly well with their groans, gurgles and mumbles." He smiled and winked, feeling glad that she had snapped out from her shock.

"Why do you ask?" Leliana asked.

Maia looked into Leliana's eyes and gulped, "Because that emissary talked to me, he told me to join him or die. He even knew my name…" she trailed off.

Everyone was surprised when they heard Maia, looking at each other to make sure they were not hearing things.

"How is that possible? I didn't hear it say anything as I sneaked up behind, except for their gibberish and unrecognized groans. Furthermore, you were too far away to hear it say anything if it did talk to you." Sarine questioned as she paced up and down even more, getting very concerned.

Irving sat himself near Maia and cleared his throat, "If what Maia said is true, then the darkspawn knows about her, which means so does the archdemon. But the main question is, how does he know about you in the first place, Maia?" he turned to look at her.

"Maybe he wants her knowledge to win the Blight and maybe Uldred was in cahoots with the archdemon." Cullen timidly concluded, not sure if his views were accepted in the team but was pleasantly surprise when they agreed that it could be a possibility, especially with Maia; anything is possible.

Alistair looked down at Maia and couldn't help feeling protective over her. Every evil creature seemed to want her and if they didn't, they would rather let her die. They need to send her back home as soon as possible and he was going to make sure of that. Besides, he has never held anyone in his arms before but Maia molded perfectly, as though she was meant for him. His heart skipped a beat at the prospects of love.

He tried to push the thoughts away when Maia started to shudder, fearing that the archdemon wanted her. Alistair hugged her even closer and she could felt his warmth even through his cold metal armor. She didn't want him to let her go, she wanted to stay in his arms forever. He made her feel safe even amidst all the chaos. She knew she had finally found her knight in shiny armor.

After a moment's of silence, Maia reluctantly freed herself from Alistair's safe and warm embrace and stood up to apologize to everyone. She began to explain how during the battle, she had stayed crouched down and when the commotion died down, did she took a look at the battlefield only to have locked eyes with the hurlock emissary. After which everything just seemed to have moved in slow motion and it was as though someone had pressed the zoom button and the hurlock was right in front of her. It was then that she heard it spoke to her before everything went by so quickly that it was a blur. She apologized once more and promised not to get in their way or slow them down.

Morrigan stood up and swayed towards her, "What other secrets are you hiding, girl? If the darkspawn can really communicate with you, we need to you to be as far away from them as possible. You cannot fall in their filthy hands. So for the rest of the journey, Sarine, I suggest that she travels with both me and Leliana."

"I should be nearby as well. I can better protect her as I can sense the darkspawn and you need to stay in the front to lead Sarine." Alistair volunteered.

Sarine agreed at her companions' suggestions and motioned for them to move on. She knew that they had wasted valuable daylight and that it will take another half a day's worth of travelling to reach Redcliffe Castle.

Sarine marched on with Hond by her side and Sten and Cullen right behind her. Irving, Wynne and the other mages were in the middle and Alistair, Morrigan, Leliana and Maia brought up the rear. The trek was silent, everyone deep in their own thoughts but tirelessly trudged on.

As daylight was disappearing, they finally reach Redcliffe Castle.


	7. Chapter 7: Alistair as king

**Chapter 7**

Maia had pictured Redcliffe castle to be a grand affair, nestled in the beautiful country side, surrounded by lush greenery. But in actual fact it looked dark, spooky and full of sorrow. She knew about Conner and the zombies and the smell of death was overpowering, something she had never experienced before even though she dealt with a lot of deaths in the hospital. She wondered why she had wanted to be in this world while she was playing the game when her world was wonderful and safe. She knew she had taken her easy life for granted and now she has to overcome all obstacles to get home, that is if they didn't kill her first.

They walked into the throne room where Bann Teagan was waiting for them.

"Ah, you have finally arrived and I see you have brought aid. I would give you a proper welcome but as you know, the Arl is very sick and we need to help Connor right away. You must be First Enchanter Irving. I hope you are not too tired from the journey to perform the ritual now." Teagan gave Irving a firm handshake and signaled the guards to bring Conner and Isolde in.

Irving didn't object even though he was tired but knew the severity of the situation. He then asked Sarine regarding who they would be sending into the fade. Wynne volunteered but Sarine decided that Jowan, the person responsible for poisoning the Arl, should go instead. If in the event that the demon might win, she would not have to sacrifice one of her own party members plus, she had begun to like Wynne and her healing skills. She can do without the nagging but hey, no one's perfect. Teagan thought hard about her choice and couldn't agree to a more fitting punishment for the mage. He ordered the guards to escort him in from the dungeon while Irving and the rest of the mages prepared themselves for the ritual.

"So, in your game, who went into the fade?" Alistair whispered to Maia who had been standing in the far corner of the room.

"I played an elf mage and I volunteered myself to kill the demon. Why do you ask?" Maia whispered back, craning her head as she tried to see the activity ahead; wanting to immerse herself in another part of dragon age.

"I was just wondering and what about Jowan, that blood mage? What happened to him?" he asked again.

"He repented and gave himself up to the circle, who escorted him to the tower right away. You know Alistair, there really is nothing much to see here once he goes into the fade and I'm sure the rest can take care of everything should things go wrong. Do you want to see the Arl instead?" Maia whispered back as she was getting tired from the questioning and disappointed at the lack of action from the mages.

Alistair's eyes widened and wondered why he didn't think about it and requested permission from Sarine to be excused. Sarine knew about Alistair's relationship with the Arl and acceded to his request. As Alistair and Maia left the room, Jowan was brought in and learnt of his fate. He didn't protest and went into the fade willingly.

Maia could see heaviness in Alistair's steps as they went up the staircase, as if unwilling to face the Arl. She wanted to run up behind him and give a big hug and let him know that everything will be alright but she knew that would be over stepping his boundaries. Furthermore, he was supposed to be falling in love with Sarine, the lead character. Her heart started sinking like Titanic when she pictured him with Sarine.

When they reached the Arl's room, Alistair asked the guards to leave so that they can have some time alone with the Arl. Once they were gone, he then proceeded to remove his armor and set them at the end of the bed. He knew that the ritual was going to take awhile and with the guards around the castle, he knew it was safe enough to relax a little.

Maia saw him taking off his armor and had to look away because even though he was not stripping to down to his undies, the sight of him doing it made Maia blushed. She diverted he thoughts and wished she could change into her scrubs; the weight of her armor was giving her a backache and that made her remember her massage chair back home. As she grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it beside Alistair, she made a mental reminder that if she could never go back home, she needed to start inventing a massage chair powered by pigs or goats.

She toyed with the idea of inventing electricity when she could hear him settling down beside the Arl. She slowly turned around but kept her gaze on the floor, only when he cleared his throat did she slowly look up to face him. She let out a deep breath, not realizing she was holding it in. She thought that if the darkspawn didn't kill her, Alistair will kill definitely will by giving her a heart attack.

"Do you know about me, Maia?" Alistair asked but his eyes were fixed on the Arl and Maia was snapped back to reality.

"Yes, I do." Maia replied.

"Could you tell me what you know, please?" he pleaded.

"What do you mean, Alistair? From the beginning, middle, end or everything?" thoughts were racing in her head as she tried to remember the key moments in his life and continued, "Alright but with one condition: You are to take what I say with a pinch of salt because some of the things that never happened in the game are happening right now; Which means that you are able to shape your destiny."

"Agreed, tell me everything you know, past, present and future." He said.

Maia stood up and paced around the room with her hands at her back as she poured all the stored information about him. He was kept on the edge of his seat as though he was listening to a story about another person. When Maia had finished, Alistair suddenly started laughing his head off. She glared at him and wondered if he had gone bonkers even before the landsmeet.

"King? Me? You must be joking. I don't want to be king and I cannot stand Anora. I would rather marry Morrigan than be with Anora. No, I mean I would rather be someone as bad as Morrigan than to be with her. Of course I would rather be with you. I mean someone as nice as you…" he started rambling but his face was as red as a tomato.

"It's ok Alistair, I know what you mean," Maia stopped him even though she thought he looked adorable rambling on the way he did.

He looked at her, stopped in his disorganized thoughts and laughed, with a twinkle in his eyes when he realized what he had been doing. "When you said I can shape my destiny, I am going to make sure that I will never be king! A-ha to your game!" he said triumphantly.

"Oh really now? But what if you do become king? What then? Would you marry Anora?" Maia asked with her heart racing hoping to hear him say no.

"Maia, let me ask you a question, back where you are from, have you ever licked a lamppost in winter?" he cocked his head and winked.

Maia's face turned bright red and her heart started racing, she could never have imagined that Alistair would asked her that question in person. Butterflies were doing somersaults in her tummy and she began to feel sick when all of the sudden, Sarine marched in.

"Maia, could I have a word with you in private, please."


	8. Chapter 8: Another new companion

_Dear Readers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story. Bioware created a wonderful world so hat's off to them. I welcome all reviews. Have a nice weekend!_

**Chapter 8**

Maia jumped out from her seat and almost tripped on herself at Sarine's sudden appearance. A part of her wished that Sarine didn't show up and spoilt her moment with Alistair but a small part of her was glad t because now she didn't know how to answer his question.

"What happened to you? Your face is red again. Are you sure you are not having a fever, because I can get Wynne to see to it." Sarine dragged another chair beside Maia and motioned for her to sit down.

Alistair noted Maia's flushed face and knew that he was the reason behind it and his heart started fluttering. He wondered if she was feeling the same way but he pushed the thought aside when Sarine cleared her throat and glared at him, waiting for him to leave.

"If you are here to discuss about defeating the archdemon, I'm not leaving. I am a grey warden too, if you have forgotten therefore I need to know as well." Alistair refused to budge.

Sarine let out a huge sigh and shakes her head. "Alright, you can stay. Now Maia we need as much information as we can let's start with our companions; are we to receive any more volunteers?"

"Ones who are not crazy, we have enough of that for now." Alistair added and leaned forward.

"One thing you must know, I realized that certain events have changed slightly which means the future might be uncertain as well. I can give you a rough guide but that is all." Maia explained as she leaned back in her seat.

Sarine and Alistair nodded.

"We should be expecting three more companions. An assassin and two warriors: The assassin will be surprisingly loyal with exceptional skills. One of the warriors, well, she has a heart of stone and the other could easily decapitate the enemies' knees. But all three would prove to be excellent fighters and companions." Maia wondered if she should warn them about the upcoming assassin attempt.

"Great, more crazy people but if you are convinced that they can help then, I believe you," Alistair winked, making her blush all over again. She wondered if her face would be permanently red from all the blushing.

"Good, good. Now what about the treaty? Would we be able to get help from everyone without much trouble?" Sarine folded her arms.

"The whole of Fereldan is in absolute chaos right now. Eventually you will be able to build yourselves an army with the treaty but not without going through countless obstacles. I will tell you more in detail as we travel to those places if you don't mind. It is just a lot of information to take in at one time." Maia bargained.

"Do you know what you are saying Maia? It means you will have to travel with us all over Fereldan instead of returning home. You almost got yourself killed back at the dock, are you sure you want to do this?" Sarine questioned.

Maia thought long and hard about what she is getting herself in to. She knew she missed her home but there is nothing there for her to go back to; the only family she knew is now gone. But here, she felt right at home and Alistair seemed to be flirting with her, something she had never experienced before; having someone liked her and she has Leliana as well.

"I've been thinking about that a lot as well and I believe that I've been pulled here for a reason, I'm not sure what it is yet but I know I can be of help. I will train myself with the bow and arrows and I promise not to repeat my mistakes. Therefore I hope you will let me join your team." Maia stood up and gave her a Japanese bow.

Alistair was worried about Maia getting killed but at the same time, he was glad that she will not be leaving soon. "She has a point, Sarine, who's to say that the archdemon won't try to bring her back her when we send her home and what's worse is that we wouldn't know about it. I second her request and I vow to keep her safe." He pulled Maia up by her shoulders and let his hands rest on it.

Sarine looked at both of them, deliberating about the possibility. She finally stood up and held out her hand. "Welcome to the team Maia. I will ask Leliana to train you while we are here. You will however, tell me all that I need to know and in great detail. We will stay here in Redcliffe for two nights before I decide on our next destination, depending on your information." Sarine smiled at Maia and turned, returning to the throne room to monitor the ritual's progress.

Maia and Alistair looked at each other and grinned widely. Maia was so happy that she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. He was stunned but responded. He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight, lifting her off the floor.


	9. Chapter 9: Victory in the fade

**Chapter 9**

As Sarine descended the flight of stairs, she could hear cheering and Isolde's cries and hastened her pace. Once there, she could see Jowan sitting on a chair with Irving's hand on his shoulder, Isolde hugging Connor and shedding tears of joy and Teagan furiously shaking each of the mage's hands. She scanned the room for her companions and found Leliana's eyes. She ran to Sarine to inform her of the successful ritual. Sarine peered beside her to locate her other companions.

"If you are looking for the rest, they are in the next room. Since there was no sign of any threat, they decided to conserve as much energy as possible before we depart," Leliana explained when she noticed that Sarine was searching for them.

Sarine nodded to acknowledge her and walked towards Jowan and Irving. Both of them were smiling and looking pleased with their success. Jowan stood up when he saw Sarine approached him. Sarine held out her hand and shook Irving's hand, congratulating and thanking him. Irving merely replied that he was glad to be of service and able to save a life. Isolde, with tears in her eyes, joined Sarine with Conner in tow and thanked them.

"What will happen to Conner now?" she clung to Irving's hand.

"He will have to come with us to the Circle, There he will be able to control his powers and master them. I understand your reservations but I believe that there had been enough innocent lives lost due to your fear. I know you will make a wise decision," Irving explained in the gentlest way.

Teagan stood in between Isolde and Conner and put his arm around her and held his hand. "He is right Isolde. I am sure my brother will understand for he too will agree that the Circle is the best place for Conner. Besides, we can always visit him." He tried to cheer them up.

"I will explain the situation to Conner and help him pack, but for now, I need to be alone with my son." Isolde guided the boy, who was oblivious to what he has done, to his room.

They then turned their attention towards Jowan, who was still there even though he could have tried to escaped when their attention was diverted.

"He must have good skills since he fought the demon all on his own. I could use a mage as a grey warden but maybe I should discuss it with Alistair and Cullen first," Sarine thought to herself but her thoughts were interrupted.

"Grey Warden, maybe now would be the opportune time to tackle our second agenda?" Irving asked.

Teagan's eyes widened and were curious to find out what the task was but figured that it must be a Grey Warden's business so he did not pursue the matter. However, he did manage to remind them of the Arl's sickness to which Sarine informed him that she will discuss in further lengths with him afterwards. He graciously bowed down and allowed them to take their leave. Sarine ordered Leliana to fetch Cullen and Morrigan to the Arl's room while she brought Irving and Jowan there first.

When they entered the room, Alistair and Maia were sitting at the edge of the bed deep in conversation that they hadn't noticed Sarine's entrance. She knocked on the door and made both of them jumped. Sarine assumed that they must be conversing about something very important and knew she had to ask them about it, as long as it is not about their feelings for each other.

Alistair was relieved to learn that the ritual had went well but wondered why Jowan was still around when they have decided to keep Maia here. He glared at Jowan when Leliana, Cullen and Morrigan walked in.

"Good, everyone is here," Sarine gathered them around in a circle. "I have a few announcements to make." Everyone was curious and inched closer towards her. "First of all, we will stay here in Redcliffe for two nights before I decide on our next destination. Second, I have decided to allow Maia to stay longer here. She has vital information for our victory and Alistair made a very valid point that even if we do send her back, what's to stop the archdemon from pulling her or someone else in without our knowledge. Therefore, Leliana, I appoint you as her trainer to the bow and arrow. I want her to be competent enough before we set off. And don't roll your eyes at me, Morrigan. You know that Alistair made a valid point. At least this way, we will have the advantage." Morrigan scoffed and folded her arms, not pleased that he made sense. "Third, we will need to find a cure for the Arl and that means finding the scared ashes of Andraste. Maia, I will need you to join me to seek audience with Bann Teagan and Lady Isolde later. Fourth, Conner will be sent to the tower for training and guidance which means you are in charge of him, First Enchanter. And finally, I would like Jowan to join us as a Grey Warden recruit," she quickly put both hands up to stop any protests from Alistair and Cullen. "I'm sure you heard me when I was talking to the Knight Commander at the tower that Grey Wardens welcome help from anywhere they can find. We will have to look past our stereotypes and accept him. He went into the fade with no questions asked and competently slay the demon by himself. That should warrant our respect. Furthermore, what is more fitting for him to atone for his sins other than to serve the Grey Wardens; Jowan, I hereby conscript you to join the Grey Wardens. You will leave your past behind and work together with us as a team."

Everyone was in silence and shock at the sudden decision of their leader. Jowan placed his right hand over his heart and bowed his head, "I humbly accept and request that should in the event I turn into an abomination, you, Warden Sarine, be the one to make sure I do not hurt anyone." His statement received gasps from across the room and made Sarine smile, knowing that she had made the right decision.

Irving acknowledged her pronouncement and requested to leave the room to prepare for his journey home since he is not required anymore. Once he left the room, Sarine closed the door and walked up to the Arl. "We will have to obtain the sacred ashes to save this man but we have to seek other allies as well. Maia what is your take on this?"

"We will have to face with countless difficulty at every step. There will be werewolves, darkspawns, assassins, dragons and crazy misguided followers. Without me, you will have to travel to Denerim to locate Brother Genitivi's house to obtain the whereabouts of the ashes but I know where it is located on the map, thus, reducing any unnecessary travelling; the ashes can be found in the village of Haven located not far away from here. We should leave dealing with the dwarves last as that would require weeks or even months to see it through." Maia had thought of the way she had played the game and knew what needs to be done differently if she were to play it through again. "However, I should warn you that we will be ambushed once we leave Redcliffe. That is when we will recruit our next companion."

Sarine sat down and twiddled her thumbs, deep in her thoughts. Jowan was very confused and wondered who Maia was. She gave off a weird aura and was dictating the future. He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to keep up.

"Alright then, I have decided. We will find this village of Haven first. About the ambush, do you know where it will be exactly, Maia?" Sarine asked but Maia just shakes her head. "It's okay. We will just have to be extra careful, so I want you to learn as much as you can from Leliana, is that understood?" she asked Maia sternly.

"Yes Ma'am." Maia replied fearing of the upcoming battles. This is no longer a virtual game but a game to fight for her life where there are no second chances.

"Alistair, fill Jowan in with everything that has happened and Leliana, make sure he doesn't kill the mage. I want the rest of you to rest as much as you can. I will inform Sten and Wynne of our decision once I talk to Bann Teagan and Lady Isolde. Maia, follow me." Sarine ordered.

_Hi gals and guys, sorry for the long wait. Work was crazy these past few days. I hope you enjoy this chapter and melgonzo…you're right… Jowan is IN! Let's see if you can figure out my next twist… till then, enjoy. It's the mid week!_


	10. Chapter 10: To lie or not to lie

**Chapter 10**

"We will need to update Wynne and Sten about our current situation and I require your assistance." Maia cocked her right eyebrow wondering what Sarine had up her sleeves, or amour for that matter.

Sarine stopped outside the room Wynne and Sten was in and turned to Maia. "As you know Wynne is against blood magic and recruiting Jowan might push her to leave the group. I know you have informed me of our complete party but I need you to tell Wynne that you knew of Jowan's joining," she whispered.

"But isn't that lying?" Maia's eyes were wide open and she was shocked to hear Sarine's request.

"Unfortunately yes but I need both of their talents. I can sense that Jowan is very skillful and if I had allowed the Circle to take him, you know that they will turn him into a Tranquil. No one else needs to know about this, it is our little secret. I know that Alistair knows about the future so maybe you can tell him that Jowan just slipped your mind. I really would like to have a strong party to increase our chances of beating the Archdemon. What say you?" Sarine laid out her intention.

Maia took a minute to absorb her reasoning and it started to make perfect sense. She closed her eyes and nodded her head secretly hoping that this lie would not jeopardize her integrity and relationships. Lying is going against every inch of her very being.

Sarine smiled, satisfied that her plans are falling into place and readied herself for the upcoming bombardment as they entered the room.

"Sarine, Maia, I'm glad to see that both of you are fine. I was wondering what had happened when Cullen and Morrigan was called away," Wynne enquired.

"Are we to sit here while the darkspawns build their army and wait for the Archdemon to come knocking at our door?" Sten added sarcastically.

"Not unless we live in a castle with no doors then the Archdemon has no choice but to knock on the windows instead," Sarine tilted her head to the right and gave the most innocent smile she can muster. "But seriously, some decisions were made and I want to update both of you. First if all we will be camping here for two nights to replenish our supplies, furthermore, Maia will be joining us in our quest and she will use this time to train under Leliana." Sarine braced herself for Sten's protest but he only shifted uncomfortably in his seat but just kept silent. Sarine further justified Maia's prolonged stay with the fact the she has valuable information and it would not be wise to let it fall into the enemies' grubby hands and the Archdemon might try to bring her back again.

Sten remained still and Sarine could see that he was processing the facts and when he nodded, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for her next battle.

"As you know, the Archdemon will not be easily defeated and as the in charge, I have decided to recruit Jowan for his abilities," once she finished saying it, as she predicted, Wynne was quick to protest.

"Are you out of your mind? He is dangerous, he has even gone so far as to hurt Irving and the other senior enchanters with blood magic, not to mention the Arl's poisoning. If not for him, this village will still be peace with everyone still alive. Can you be sure that he will not turn on you, on us once a better offer comes his way?" Wynne started to get hysterical.

"Calm down Wynne, as a Grey Warden, defeating the Blight is my top priority and I will make sure that I succeed and if it means recruiting a blood mage, I will. I hope you will understand that the fate of Fereldan is in our hands. Maia?" Sarine waited for her to back her up.

"That's right Wynne. Jowan joined the party and proved to be a loyal and skilled mage and the blight was defeated with everyone's help, including his. Please try to accept him; I know that it's hard for you." Maia pleaded as she held Wynne's hands in hers.

Wynne looked down and began shaking her head wishing that they were just joking but when she looked into Maia's eyes, she saw innocence and trust and it calmed her down.

"Alright, I will try. But don't let me say, I told you so." Wynne looked over Maia shoulders at Sarine.

Sarine was amazed at how well the altercations were handled. Maia was truly proving to be useful and she will be her secret weapon, not only against her enemies but with her companions, If need be.

"Good, now that this is settled, there is the matter of the Arl to handle, let's go Maia. I thank the both of you for your understanding and now I want you to rest." Sarine walked out with Maia at her heels.

"Thank you back there. You really helped with the Wynne situation." Sarine whispered to Maia as they headed to the throne room.

Maia smiled knowing that this is something she does not want to repeat.

"Bann Teagan, I would like to discuss regarding the Arl's cure, if you may," Sarine announced once they found Teagan sitting in the throne room staring into the fire.

"Grey Warden, do you know of a cure for him?" Teagan rise and meet them half way.

"Yes, however, I need a favor from you." Sarine asked calmly and Maia felt a sense of dejavu.

"Name it, anything to cure my brother." Teagan replied anxiously,

"I wish for my party to camp here for two nights to replenish our supplies and for them to rest before we depart for an unknown village to look for a cure," Sarine requested.

"My castle is at your disposal Grey Warden. After how you helped us in our time of need, you need not ask for my permission to stay here. This is your home as much as mine. Please, make yourselves comfortable. However, can I ask where did you get your information from and if it is reliable?" Teagan tried to probe.

"Let's just say that I have a very reliable source and wished to remain anonymous. We thank you for your hospitality," Sarine tried to escape before he stared asking more questions. Sarine does not want anyone else outside her party to now of Maia's real identity. She gave a quick bow and swiftly exited the room.

"So, you're saying that we will get ambushed once we leave Redcliffe?" Sarine asked Maia once they are out of Teagan's range.

"That's right. I even remember how the ambush would take place."

"Good, we will devise a strategy before departing. Now, let's get some sleep. I have enough excitement for today." Sarine stretched her back as they entered a room where all the female companions were gathered.

"Little Mai! Here! I have prepared a spot for you!" Leliana called out excitedly to Maia.

Maia was pleased that she had someone who cared for her and skipped over to Leliana, looking forward to a good night's sleep.

"Oh, Alistair wanted me to tell you that he wishes you good night and pleasant dreams," Leliana whispered as she helped Maia out of her gear, grinning from ear to ear.


	11. Chapter 11: May I have this dance

Chapter 11

Redcliffe castle was awashed with activity, all the cooks and servants were busy preparing a grand feast for the wardens and their companions for their last night there. Isolde and Teagan voluntarily gave each of them a set of fine clothes for them to keep. The ladies swooned over Isolde's high quality dresses from Antiva and with Leliana's fine hands, each dress fitted them perfectly. The guys were just glad to be wearing something else other than their armors except for Sten, who saw no need for the presumptuous celebration but followed Sarine's orders but she too was not keen on her dress.

Teagan joined his guests, happily chatting and laughing the night away. They knew that the threat of the blight was ever growing but were determined to enjoy just one night before the hard and long journey ahead. Isolde, on the other hand, was distant and kept to herself ever since Conner's departure. In her head, she knew she had failed as a mother and wife. Her only child has been taken away and her husband was terminally ill, her life has been turned upside down and she wished she was dead.

During the third course, Alistair wondered if this would be his life if Maric had accepted him, but then again, he could have been dead, lying beside his bother in Ostagar right now. He erased the mental picture and replaced it with Maia. She looked gorgeous in her gown but still had her innocence and simple charm. He looked around the table while smiling from ear to ear until he saw Jowan who was staring at Maia. Instantly a spark of hatred and jealousy overcame him because he was not about to allow a blood mage to have fantasies about his lady. He choked on his chicken when he realised that he had just called Maia his lady.

"Slow down there Alistair, there is plenty of food for everyone," Teagan laughed thinking that he had swallowed without chewing.

Alistair downed his glass of wine, embarrassed that everyone, especially Maia would now think of him as a glutton. He sat quietly for the rest of the meal and tried not to attract any more attention.

Sarine was very uncomfortable in her dress even though it had fitted her perfectly. It was unheard of for an elf to be seated next to humans especially in the presence of royalty but the atmosphere was warm and the conversation flowed smoothly that Sarine forgot about her awkwardness and settled among her friends. She was seated with Maia to her left, Alistair across the table from her and Teagan was at the head of the table to her right. She was glad she was surrounded by people she can trust, people whom she can now call friends.

Once dinner was over, Leliana offered to sing a song for them. Sten and Morrigan decided to take their leave knowing that singing and dancing was not their cup of tea. Leliana started playing her lute and the sweetest voice was heard.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Maia asked as she walked with Morrigan towards the door.

"Tis is something I am not familiar with besides there is something of more interest to me," Morrigan replied in her sultry tone.

"Oh yea… the Grimoire," Maia slipped.

"You knew about it? No one else knows except for me and Sarine. You really are a mystery, aren't you? We will need to discuss this in further details but tonight, you should enjoy yourself. I bid you good night Maia," Morrigan turned and sashayed out. Maia wanted to persuade Morrigan to stay but decided not incur her wrath.

Sten walked past Maia as if she was invisible but that didn't bother Maia tonight. Even her predicament was unbelievable to her.

"Umm, I may not win the best dancer award but would you care to dance with me, dear Maia?" Alistair caught Maia by surprise.

Her heart was pounding and unexpectedly she felt hot and sweaty. She could not imagine what was happening to her. Her wildest dream was coming true. "I'm not fantastic either but I would love to dance with you," Maia placed her hand in his and was swept away.

It is apparent to all present that Alistair and Maia had feelings for each other because even though they kept stepping on each other's foot, they still held each other tight and enjoyed every minute of their terrible footwork.

Cullen looked on wishing that he would be lucky enough to be able to share a moment like that with the one he loved. Jowan snuck up on him and tapped his shoulder, "I need to talk to you, privately please."

Cullen stood up, anger rose inside him and he had to fight the urge to strangle the mage as they headed towards the empty balcony. Once alone, Cullen could no longer control his emotions which had been pent up for days ever since he met Jowan.

"Where is she, Jowan?! Did you kill her?" Cullen grabbed him by his collar and slammed him to the nearby wall.

"Let me go and I will tell you," Jowan begged.

Cullen released his grip and Jowan slumped to the floor as he coughed and tried to open up his airway. "Now, talk!" Cullen demanded.

"She is fine, well, she was fine the last time I was with her." Jowan's answer was unsatisfactory for Cullen as he lifted his foot and was about to kick him in the head when the defenceless mage held up his hand to shield his face and quickly stammered, "We came across an assassin group called the Antivan Crows and she decided to join them."

Cullen stopped in his track, bent down and grabbed him by his collars again, "Where is she now, Jowan?"

"I'm not too sure. I heard the crows said something about assassinating a Grey Warden." Jowan tried to release Cullen's clutch but he was just too strong.

"Is that why you didn't refuse Sarine's offer?" Cullen started to loosen his hold.

"Yes, I figured that if I travel with the Grey Warden, the crows will come to me, plus I do not want to be forced to be a Tranquil," Jowan massaged his neck.

"You shouldn't have filled her head with fantasies about the outside world. What if the crows decided to kill her?" Cullen asked in a remorseful voice.

"There are many things I shouldn't have done but it is too late for regrets now. I thank the Maker for bringing Sarine to me and opening her heart up to accept me. Once we find Arianna and I make sure that she is safe, I will continue with Sarine to defeat the blight. Arianna is like a sister to me and I care a lot about her and I can also see that you care for her but in a way different than me. I swear to you, I had never wanted this to happen," Jowan apologized.

"Is my feelings that transparent? Anyways, I am glad that you had managed to escape from the Circle, I found the treatment of mages too extreme in some aspects and every day I feared that they would turn Arianna into a Tranquil." Cullen finally revealed his hidden fears.

"That's a fear all of us had and I'm surprised to know that you feel the same way,' Jowan inched closer towards him.

"The helm hid our faces but we could see the terrible treatment that was going on." He took a sigh of regret. "We must keep this a secret, if we meet up with her, we must do our best to protect her," Cullen proposed.

"Why? Couldn't we just tell Sarine the truth? If we explain the situation to her, she might be sympathetic towards Arianna," Jowan suggested.

"No, we cannot do that, not yet, but I will think about it," Cullen was still unsure how much he could trust Sarine.

"So, this is where you've been hiding. Sarine wants a word with all of us," Maia caught them unawares and ushered them back into the ballroom.

Once everyone was present and accounted for, Sarine stood up in front of all of them and cleared her throat. Her presence usually commanded attention but not in this dress, she looked like any other weak elf.

"Shall we get on with it? I would like to get my rest soon," Sten finally quietened the chattering and grabbed everyone's attention.

"Thank you, Sten. I have gathered you here tonight to remind you of tomorrow's agenda. We will depart at the crack of dawn to a village named Haven south west from here. We will be looking for a cure for the Arl and before you ask, yes, we will be looking for the Sacred Ashes of Andraste. Once there, we will split into two teams, I will only bring three of you to the scared temple. Maia has informed me that they will be tests and personal revelations so I would prefer to have volunteers. If no one steps forward by then, I will have to choose them myself." Everyone looked around curious to know more about the mysterious temple. "Another issue is an assassination attempt. We are unable to determine the exact location but we will be ambushed on our journey to Haven. Maia will identify the first assassin as she will come running up to us asking for assistance and once she has her back turned, Leliana, I want your arrow through her. Maia, stay low and out of sight, only come out when I ask you to. Everyone else, proceed with caution and with stealth, I want the element of surprise on our side. Morrigan, unleash your lighting and Jowan, freeze everyone in sight. For the rest of you, take them all out but leave their elf leader alive for me. I want no survivors. Is that understood?"

There were collective nods and the occasional yes from her party. Sarine felt like a born leader who was leading her party to victory. Cullen and Jowan traded glances and saw fear in each other's eyes.


	12. Chapter 12: From the horse's mouth

**Chapter 12**

The castle had more than enough rooms to accommodate the companions but Sarine decided that they all shared rooms except for Morrigan who had wanted to be alone. When Cullen requested to switch rooms with Sten so he could share the room with Jowan, the Qunari refused and insisted that he should have done it two nights ago and slammed the door on Cullen. Both Jowan and Cullen were disappointed with Sten's stubbornness but in order not to arouse suspicions, they decided to remain in their rooms. They have no choice but to discreetly discuss Arianna's fate during the journey.

The castle was quiet and still as the crescent moon rose high in the night sky, everyone was fast asleep except for Alistair and Maia, who had been tossing and turning as they recalled being in each other's arms. As if by telepathy, they decided to take a walk in the cold night breeze to clear their heads and left their rooms, which were located opposite of each other, at the same time that when they turned around and locked eyes, they burst out laughing. Maia had to ask Alistair to lower his volume so as to not wake up the others. When she came close enough to Alistair, he wrapped his hand around hers and led them away. They carefully crept through the castle being careful not to attract the guards' attention.

"Where are we going?" Maia whispered as she crept along behind Alistair who had their fingers interlocked.

"It's a surprise," he whispered back and grinned to himself.

After dodging the guards at the gate, they slipped into the stables. The horses were fast asleep and only one lamp provided illumination. It was becoming clear to Maia that Alistair had trust her enough to share a part of his past with her and instantly she felt a horrible guilt about Jowan. She was deep in her thoughts, debating as to whether to tell the truth that she didn't realize that Alistair had set them down a huge bale of hay.

"You know, I used to sleep here when I was younger," he said softly as he closed his eyes and flashes of his past played in his head.

"Actually, I do and I thank you for sharing this with me," Maia stroked his hand.

"Right, how could I forget that you do? It is just so weird that you know everything about me and I know very little about you," he opened up his eyes and turned to face her.

Maia could not pay full attention to him as her guilt weighed heavily on her and could only looked down at her feet.

"Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I did. I am always horrible at small talk. We could leave if you don't like it here. Please don't be sad or mad and you don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to either. Honest." He let his hand fall away from hers and was now staring at his feet feeling horrible that he had upset her.

Maia grabbed his hand before it could fall away from her lap and gently lifted his head with the other. "You didn't say nor do anything wrong, Alistair. I am just overwhelmed that you trust me enough to want to bring me here. I don't feel that I deserve it, that's all." She decided not to tell him the truth about Jowan because seeing him upset broke her heart. She forced a smile and said, "To prove that you didn't upset me, I'm ready to tell you everything you want to know, ask away."

Instantly, his eyes sparkled and his frown turned into a smile. "First of all, you deserve my trust, I assure you and secondly, take a deep breath because I have a lot of questions for you," he said excitedly and began asking about her life back home; her family, friends and work.

Maia felt enough guilt that one lie was more than she could handle and she answered all of his curiosity truthfully.

"So, are you some kind of a mage then? You can heal others?" he asked when she related her experience in the operating theatre as a scrub nurse assisting a doctor in a simple appendectomy.

Maia smiled and said, "Do you mean a healer mage like Wynne? Oh no. We had machines, equipments and medicines to aid in our healing. It is a long and sometimes painful process for the patients. But I do feel a sense of satisfaction whenever we manage to perform an operation successfully. It takes a whole team to do what Wynne can do alone. Furthermore, our methods are more barbaric. Patients are cut open and probed or tiny cameras are inserted and it is far bloodier as well." Maia realized that she missed her healing role and wondered how her department was coping with her sudden absence.

"Since you put it that way, you do sound barbaric." He lets out a laugh. "Do you miss it? Do you miss home?" he added.

"A part of me wishes that I am home but there is really nothing much for me to go back to other than my job. It's weird but amidst all the danger here, I feel right at home with all of you, especially when you are around." Even she was surprised at her own truth.

"That is weird but I'm glad that you feel that way. There is another thing that I need to clarify," he gave her a cheeky look and winked his right eye, making her blush and giggle. "How could a beautiful lady like you have no one special of the male kind? You must be pulling my leg."

Maia blushed when he called her beautiful, "I have never really thought about that. I was so busy trying to find my birth parents and I hate socializing. You have experienced it yourself last night. I am sure you have bruises all over your feet." She pointed at them, recalling their horrible dance. "When my foster parents passed away, I found solace in being alone and interacting with people just for fun was becoming a real chore for me," tears stared to well in her eyes as she thought about her foster parents and how she doesn't even have a picture of them with her.

Tears began flowing down her cheeks and she felt a light brush of finger wiped away her tears and saw Alistair looking deep into her eyes as he leaned in for a kiss on her lips.

Maia closed her eyes and was greeted with the most gentle and loving kiss she had ever known. She never knew that this was how her first kiss experience would be. Her sadness melted away and she could feel him embracing her with his strong arms.

Alistair knew that this was the right moment to let her know his true feelings for her. He saw her sadness and had wanted to take it away. He could feel her relaxing in his arms and reluctantly pulled away from her soft lips, "You are no longer alone, Maia, you have me now and no matter what happens, I will always be here to protect you. I promise."

Maia smiled and whispered, "Thank you Alistair, you mean the whole world to me and in my small way, I will always protect you too. By the way, you're the first guy I have ever kissed," she blushed.

"Well then, we have to make sure that I'll be the only guy you will ever kiss," and he leaned in for a more passionate and deep kiss.


	13. Chapter 13: Advantage reversed

**Chapter 13**

All was still quiet in Redcliffe Castle as Sarine and her team prepared themselves for the journey. As everything had already been packed, they only needed to load their horses and saddle them up. Teagan generously gave each of them horses to ride on, along with four extra pack horses. Teagan had offered all the human companions warhorses but Maia was so terrified at their sheer height and power that she asked for a small horse. Sarine agreed with her request as she foresaw a terrible accident because of Maia's inability to control them.

Alistair hoisted Maia up on her horse and reminded her not to hold the reigns too tight but Maia was still psyching herself up that she did not hear him.

"Maia? Did you hear me?" Alistair gently patted her knee and felt immense concern regarding her safety.

The pat snapped Maia back to reality and gave a smile and nod to him.

"Just stay close to me, okay?" He smiled back.

"Don't forget about me. Just because the two of you are together doesn't make me less important. Maia is still my little sister and I will protect her with my life," Leliana trotted up to them on her grey warhorse. "And Alistair, if you hurt her, I will kill you, so fast that you will think that you are still alive," Leliana whispered as she positioned herself between the two of them.

Alistair thought she was joking but the look on her face showed otherwise. "If I ever do hurt her, please, kill me," he whispered back, knowing that hurting Maia would cause him too much pain. He briskly walked away and mounted his black horse.

Maia had not heard their conversation as she was still in her own world, wishing she had done engineering instead so that she could build a car from scratch instead of riding a horse.

Leliana walked off and called out to Maia who kept her focus on staying on her horse. The party walked out on their horses into the dark night. The sun was still below the horizon but Sarine knew that anymore delay would mean more time for the darkspawn to increase their numbers. They walked out of the courtyard but before they left, Sarine stopped them.

"Maia, remember to say the code word when you recognize the mage assassin," Sarine reminded her.

"Cuckoo bird, I remember," Maia replied.

Sten still found it weird to have 'cuckoo bird' as a code word but it became so when Sarine had asked Maia what she was thinking of at that moment during her riding practices. Her first response was cuckoo bird because she thought that it was a cuckoo idea to master riding a horse in two days when she had no prior experience and thus the code word was settled. She kept hearing 'cuckoo, cuckoo' in her head the whole time she was practicing.

They quietly rode off on the path southward as far as they could until they needed to veer off into the jungle. They met with a couple of strangled bands of darkspawn but nothing they couldn't handle. They were quickly disposed of and looted of any valuable and useful materials. The rode non-stop down the path, galloping at great speed until the sun was directly above them. Wynne suggested that it would be a great time to stop for lunch. Sarine had initially wanted to take a break only once they entered the jungle but upon seeing Maia's scrunched up face, she took Wynne's suggestion.

"Let us slow down so that we can find a suitable spot for a break," Sarine said as they slowed to a trot.

"Is it normal for my rear to be in so much pain from riding?" Maia asked Leliana.

"It is but you will get used to it soon," Leliana comforted her.

"I hope it's soon. From where I was from, we have metal vehicles and comfortable seats. The one I had was small but it was very cozy and had cushy seats which provided a smooth ride," Maia pictured her green Volkswagen Beetle.

"How does it move with no horses?" Alistair asked as he slowed down to ride beside them.

Maia tried explaining the mechanism involved to the best of her knowledge which was not very much but everyone became interested, including Sten.

Jowan seized the opportunity to talk to Cullen while the rest was distracted by Maia's contraption.

"What should we do if Arianna came up running to Sarine?" Jowan whispered to Cullen.

"We would have to stop her even before she gets close to Sarine. Maybe we can call her name? We will need to ride up front though so that we get the first glance." Cullen suggested.

"I guess that would work. I still think that it would be better to tell Sarine the truth," Jowan was skeptical of his plans.

Suddenly, a woman with blond shoulder length hair came running up to Sarine. Everyone went silent because what Maia had said would happen is becoming a reality. Jowan and Cullen let out a sigh of relief when they realized that it was not Arianna or their plan would have been useless.

"Cuckoo bird!" Maia shouted and even before Sarine could answer her question, an arrow was burrowed into her head, in between her eyes.

Sarine was impressed with Leliana's precision and speed and Alistair reminded himself not to get on her bad side. Sarine dismounted her black stallion and inspected the dead woman. "Are you sure this is she?" She asked Maia.

One by one they dismounted their horses and secured them to a tree nearby.

Maia went close to the fallen woman, "Yes, I am sure. There's more up ahead."

"Okay everyone, just as we had planned, Jowan, freeze them. Morrigan, fry them with your lightning bolts and the rest of you, wait for my mark. Maia, stay here with the horses, make sure they don't run off and stay out of harm's way. We will call you once the danger has passed. Wynne, remain as far as you can but close enough to heal and rejuvenate us," Sarine gave her orders.

Everyone silently and faithfully followed her orders and crept up the road. Huge boulders began to line the sides of the narrowing road. Sarine ordered them to split into two teams each covering both sides. They moved as silently as they could until they spot the blond elf leader who was standing in the middle of what looked like a valley. She was impressed with their choice of locale but it was them who hold the advantage now. There were three broken caravans behind him and remembered that the rest of them are hiding behind it. Jowan who was on Sarine's team, enthusiastically went ahead of Sarine and spotted the rest of the assassins behind another huge boulder behind the caravans and Arianna as well. He knew he had to make his move, so he signaled Sarine to let her know that he had a clear line of sight to them and shot a quick look to Cullen to inform him of Arianna's location. With a nod from Sarine, Jowan casted a sleeping spell on Arianna and she fell down instantly, followed by a barrage of freezing spells aimed at the rest of the assassins. He hoped that Cullen could get to her before anyone else did. Morrigan shot her lightning bolts at the caravans and shattered them to pieces rendering the assassins defenseless.

"They know we are here! They must be behind the boulders, focus your attack there!" the elf leader ordered his underlings as he dodged the oncoming magical attacks.

Leliana let loose her arrows at the frozen rogues, shattering them all over the area. Sarine then signaled her warriors and they charged from their hiding place. Sten swung his long sword at a charging warrior and clove him into half. Alistair put up his shield and knocked a rogue back and bashed him until he fell backwards. Alistair then proceeded to draw his sword and drove it into his heart. Sarine looked for the traps with Maia's location and disabled them to prevent her teammates from detonating them accidentally.

Cullen ran up to Arianna and used his shoulder to lift the assassins as they got close to him and slammed them to the ground before slicing their throats open and blood spew everywhere.

Once Sarine had found all the traps, she sneaked up behind Zevran who was aiming his arrow at Wynne and lunged at him. They fell to the ground and rolled down the boulder. Sarine maintained her position above him and when they rolled to a stop, she took out her dagger and pounded the hilt into the back of his head until he went limp.

Cullen had witnessed what had happened and eagerly announced that his area was clear of enemies.

Sarine looked around and one by one, her companions delivered the same triumphant response. "Go and get Maia and the horses!" She ordered them.

"I'll stay here in case any more shows up. I have a clear view from here!" Cullen shouted back.

Jowan knew the real reason why Cullen had wanted to stay where he was and quickly ran after the rest to retrieve their horses.

Sarine grabbed both of Zevran's hand and tied them up with a rope she had found nearby.

Maia came up running to Sarine feeling slightly worried and excited to meet Zevran. Everyone crowded around him once they had secured their horses.

"Maia, did I keep the right person alive?" Sarine asked.

"Yes you did. He's Zevran of Zev to his friends." Maia replied.

"I suggest you don't call him Zev then, since we are not his friends," Sten suggested.

"Unless he has friends who like to tie others up for a hobby," Alistair shrugged.

Maia rolled her eyes and continued her introduction, "He is a skillful rogue with lock picking talents, lame jokes and endless fun."

Zevran began to stir awake, "Uh…was I dreaming or did I hear praise for me?" he asked as he opened his eyes. He looked around and saw unfamiliar faces and deduced that he has failed his mission. "You must have kept me alive for a reason; questions, yes? Let me save you some time," but before he could carry on, Sarine raised her hand to stop him.

"I know enough about you, Zevran. You are an Antivan Crow who just so happened to be in the neighborhood when the deal was made. I know that Loghain had hired the crows and paid them a handsome sum but left you with very little. Now that you have failed, you have two choices, return to the crows to be killed by them for failing or join me. As you can see, my team and I have easily managed to dispose of your team." She offered him as she waved her dagger in the air.

"I would give you a round of applause for your accurate information but forgive me as my hands seemed to be preoccupied at the moment. Before I give my decision, please enlighten me as to why you want me in your team? Has my reputation at giving back massages spread far and wide?" Zevran gave a cheeky grin.

"Because, I know that you prefer to live and loyalty is an interesting concept to you. I am a good leader on a good cause and I need skilled fighters on my side. Plus, I will not kill you just because you fail a mission. So, what say you?" Sarine asked firmly.

"With such persuasive skills, I would be honored to serve you." Zevran quickly replied.

"Fine plan, I would examine our food and drinks far more closely from now," Morrigan snorted.

"That's excellent advice for anyone," Zevran massaged his rope burnt wrists.

"Welcome, Zevran, having an Antivan Crow join us sound like a fine plan," Leliana added.

"Oh, you are another companion to be then? I wasn't aware of the number of loveliness that you have in your team. I did make the right choice," Zevran flirted only to be punched in the back by Alistair.

"I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you until such a time as you choose to release me from it. I'm your man, without reservation, this I swear," Zevran bowed his head to Sarine.

Out of the blue, a flash of lightning hit Alistair in his chest and rattled him in his armor as he dropped to the ground and began jerking.

"Alistair!" Maia screamed and ran to him.

Everyone else unsheathed their weapons and shielded Maia and Alistair as they looked for the culprit.


	14. Chapter 14: Smacked!

**Chapter 14**

"I see the mage! She's up there behind Cullen! Kill her, Cullen!" Sarine screamed as they advanced towards them until Jowan galloped on his horse and blocked their path.

"What are you doing, Jowan? Get out of the way!" Leliana jumped high and pushed him off his horse.

"No! No! Stop! I know her! Don't hurt her!" Cullen grabbed the mage by her hand and pulled her behind him while he brought his shield up.

Everyone came to a stop at Cullen's confession. Maia gently laid Alistair's head on the ground and marched up to Cullen. She snatched Leliana's dagger from her hand as she went by and screamed, "Get the hell out of the way Cullen. I'm going to kill her and I swear I will kill you as well if you don't move!"

Cullen was so shocked at Maia's outburst that he loosened his grip on the shield and she easily threw it to one side. Everyone stood dumbfounded at Maia's anger and strength as she pushed Cullen out of her way. She snatched the mage's staff and kicked her in the abdomen which sent her flying. She had positioned herself over the mage and readied to stab the quivering mage when Sten grabbed her by her waist and dragged her away.

Cullen struggled to his feet and pulled the mage behind him once more but this time Jowan joined him. Maia was still thrashing in Sten's big arms as she tried to free herself when Sarine went up to Jowan and Cullen and gave each of them a hard slap across the face.

"You told me that all the assassins were dead, you betrayed us! And for what?! Her?! Alistair is the only Grey Warden who knew about the blight and now he's dead, thanks to you!" Sarine screamed. "Wynne! Could you revive him?" She shouted while maintaining eye contact with Jowan and Cullen.

Wynne knelt down beside Alistair and hover her hands over his chest but shook her head. "He's moved on."

"Noo!" Maia screamed as Sten finally released her and she ran towards Alistair. She carefully cradled his head on her lap and hugged him close. "You cannot leave me. I need you. Wake up! Wake up…Alistair! Please…wake up…I love you…" tears poured down on his face but he remained motionless.

Leliana began to cry but stopped herself and turned towards the two traitors, "Well? We're waiting. Why is she still alive? Who is she?"

"Ah, I believe I can provide some answers. She is Arianna, a runaway mage." Zevran pointed at Jowan. "Hmm…No wonder you look familiar. You were with her that day in Denerim," he looked closely at him. "They had escaped from the Circle and were looking for means to support themselves. She had heard about me and the Antivan Crows and asked if she could join and I said yes. Him, he got angry and stormed off somewhere." Zevran thumbed at Jowan as he remembered, pacing around the trio.

"And how did you know all this?" Jowan asked.

"I had my ways and she was willing," Zevran leered.

"What did you say?!" Cullen grabbed Zevran by his collar and lifted him off the ground.

"Let him go, Cullen!" the mage insisted and he grudgingly put him down.

Zevran cleared his throat and faced the mage, "What were you thinking attacking the Warden when you know that your comrades are lying dead from their hands?"

"But…we had a mission to accomplish. You said either we die trying or get killed for not." She answered meekly.

"You could have pretended that you were dead and continued living. But now, I cannot help you," Zevran walked away.

"You're right, Zevran. You cannot help her. No one can. She killed one of our own and now she has to pay." Sarine pulled on Arianna's hands and pushed her to the ground.

"Stop! Don't! She is harmless. I assure you." Jowan blocked Sarine.

"Harmless?! Bullshit! If you don't kill her, Sarine, I will!" Maia shouted.

"Please. She's the closest thing I have to a family; she is like a little sister to me. He! He's the one who corrupted her. You should kill him!" Jowan pointed to Zevran.

"No."

"Arianna, what are you saying?" Jowan whispered.

"He didn't corrupt me. It was my decision to join the Crows and my choice to strike the warden with my lightning spell. You have protected me all my life, Jowan. Let me be responsible for my own actions now. My life is forfeited. Do what you wish to it," Arianna went down on both her knees in front of Sarine.

"Your courage is admirable and I respect that. One should always take ownership of their actions however, Alistair still lay dead. I shall make this quick and painless." Sarine said calmly.

"My dear, if I may, maybe you should take some time to ponder about her loyalty. She is obviously very skillful and took her orders seriously. Furthermore, she was honest and responsible. She would make a fine addition to our group," Wynne suggested.

Maia glared at Wynne, "Wynne? You? How could you even suggest such an absurd thing?"

"Alistair's death is unfortunate but in a war, it is inevitable. We need to look at the big picture. We need to defeat this Blight or Alistair's death would have been in vain. We need not only strength and numbers but good quality ones. I can see that Arianna is a good person. We only need to give her a chance." Wynne calmly explained and she patted Maia's shoulder.

"The old mage makes sense. I second her suggestion." Sten added.

"Me too!" Jowan and Cullen said in unison.

"You forfeited your right to vote when you betrayed us. I shall take this into consideration. I require some time to contemplate but in the meantime, Leliana, make sure Arianna doesn't run away or poison our food. Sten, keep an eye on Jowan and Cullen. Scavenge for valuables and make camp nearby." Sarine ordered and then whispered to Wynne, "Will you follow me to gather wood to make a pyre for Alistair?"

Wynne nodded and they set off into the forest.


	15. Chapter 15: CPR lesson

**Chapter 15**

Maia was still holding Alistair in her arms and kept rocking back and forth. Suddenly she remembered that she knew CPR and even though the chances were slim to none, she had to at least try. She struggled to remove his armor and cursed herself for not remembering it sooner as his chances would be higher.

As she finally removed his armor, she could see that his shirt was burnt to a crisp and his whole body was charred. "Oh, Alistair." Tears started to flow down once more. She lightly traced along his ribs to find the sternal notch and began performing chest compressions. With every push, her tears kept on dripping and her hopes waned.

After 5 cycles, she checked for a pulse: nothing. She knew there was nothing else she could do. She felt physically, mentally and emotionally drained. She gave him a final kiss on his lips and laid her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry I'm such a ditz. If only I have thought about it sooner, you would have been alive now. I'm sorry," she whispered in between her sobs.

She closed her eyes and patted his chest. Suddenly she could visualize a heart. It was so real. It was black in color but still held its shape. She held it in her hand and felt its' thick muscles. The areas that she was touching began to change color from black to white and spread across the rest of the heart until all was white. She could see the coronary arteries reforming and when she touched the sino-atrial node, she felt a spark and the heart pumped. Adrenaline and excitement took over and she began touching the node at a constant rhythm to maintain a heartbeat and she could feel blood gushing into the chambers and warming up when suddenly a bright white light blinded her and she flew towards the boulders.

"Maia! Are you alright?" Leliana cried out as she rushed to her side along with the others when they heard a loud explosion.

"Ugh…What happened?"

"Alistair…?" Wynne asked when he sat up and massaged his chest.


	16. Chapter 16: Irresistable

**Chapter 15**

"Ugh…What happened?"

"Alistair?" Wynne asked with her eyes wide opened as he sat up and massaged his chest.

"Hey…who took my armor off? Why are all of you staring at me?" Alistair asked, perplexed at the sea of eyes focusing on him.

Maia heard Alistair's voice and it took her a moment to register that she was not dreaming. She managed to focus her eyesight on his direction and saw Cullen helped him off the ground. She regained her composure and sprinted towards them as fumed with anger. She pushed Cullen aside and threw herself at Alistair with a great force which caused him to fall backwards to the ground. He was shocked at her strength and reaction but did not have the strength to resist.

"Whoa, I'm happy to see you too, Maia. Oh…I get it…were you the one who took my armor off? Couldn't wait to get a piece of the Alistair? Hmm…?" he whispered in her ear as he squeezed her in his arms.

Maia sat up beside him and wiped her tears away. She was glad that he could still joke around and she would rather have his lame jokes than him being dead. She smiled as she said, "I'm glad that you are okay and yes, you are too irresistible that I couldn't wait any longer." She punched him lightly on his shoulder and gave him a deep kiss on his lips to which he reciprocated.

"I wasn't aware that romance was allowed in your team, I am beginning to enjoy your decision, Warden Sarine. Think of all the possibilities with your beautiful companions and Warden, I could give you tips to make your nights, how should I say it, more exciting…" Zevran teased as he stepped out from behind Sten only to get a cold stare from Leliana and Morrigan. He gave both a smile and winked at them before retreating behind the safe Qunari wall to get away from their glares.

"Please, get a tent the both of you. Anymore of that and this elf is going to think that he can get away with the same behavior." Morrigan let out an exasperated sigh. "Normally I would have dreaded Alistair resurrection but how it came about is a miracle. I wonder at the kind of power that is behind this magic and the source." Morrigan said as she walked nearer to them while she kept an eye on Maia.

Maia tried to get up when Alistair pulled her back down and whispered in her ears, "Let me hold you a little longer, I felt as though I had lost you forever plus we're making Morrigan uncomfortable." Maia decided to accede to his request.

"I'm sorry to cut your reunion short, but Alistair, what was the last thing that you remember?" Wynne asked with a worried tone in her voice as she helped them up.

Cullen and Jowan who had been feeling guilty all this while had been observing Alistair's reawakening but kept their distance from him ever since Maia pushed Cullen away. Their feeling of guilt was now accompanied by curiosity and fear because to their knowledge, blood magic could only go as far as gaining control of a being, reviving the dead is magic that has never been heard of before. So who or what are they dealing with? Who is Maia? The same thoughts went through everyone's mind as well.

"The last thing that I remember was that elf's smart comment. The rest was hazy…I remember seeing Duncan, Cailan and the rest of the Wardens who fought at Ostagar. It felt more like a dream though. Why?" Alistair tried his best to recall and when he sat up, he felt a sharp pain originating from his left chest which spread across his entire torso and down his left arm.

"Because you died. A lightning spell hit you and you died." Sten answered him as he was tired of the cautiousness everyone was taking.

"Dead? Who me? You must be joking. If I was truly dead, how is it possible for me to be talking to you right now?" he looked around and whispered in Maia's ears, "If I was dead, my soul will never leave your side and I would strangle that elf if he made any pass on you." He then continued, "Okay, if what you say is true, who is the miracle worker?" he finally stood up with Maia supporting him.

"That is what we are unclear of. Those of us who are capable of magic were nowhere close to you when you awoke, only Maia was by your side." Morrigan now stood right in front of Maia. She closed her eyes and waved her hand. "Magic has been performed," she said as she held Maia's free hand.

"Magic?! Ya right. You might as well tell me that I'm the Queen of England." Maia pulled her hand away from Morrigan's grasp.

"She is right Maia. Magic has definitely been performed recently and it originated from you. Both you and I know that Alistair was long gone, what were you doing before he came back to life?" Wynne asked cautiously.

"I tried to perform resuscitation on him but it didn't work. Then I was crying and suddenly I could see a heart. Not only that, I could feel it in my hands. It was cold and black at first but the places which my hand touched turned white. The dead heart started to reform in my hand and when I saw the sino-atrial node, I touched it. That's when I could feel a kind of electric current passed through my fingers into the node and the heart pumped! I could feel it warming up from the blood as I helped it to pump even more and then…a bright light blinded me and I felt a huge force throwing me into the air." Maia strained to remember her experience which felt surreal and the pain in her rear.

Everyone looked at each other and Alistair stared at Maia in disbelief.

"That must be when he came back to life. Is it possible that the heart you saw was his? That somehow you have magic in you? You don't know your real family, right? If only Morrigan had claimed that magic was performed, I would have my doubts but Wynne felt it too and not only that, I could feel it as well. However, it is not just any kind of magic, it is old magic, something that my ancestors once felt and feared-the Tevinters." Sarine added her view and knowledge.

"But how is that possible? I was born in an entirely different world where all of you are fiction. There is no way I could have gained magical abilities just by playing a game. You're right, I don't know who my parents are but the idea that they are Tevinters is so farfetched." Maia started trembling at the possibility.

"You know, that theory is not impossible. If Maia has the ability to revive the dead, it would make sense for the Archdemon to want her on his side." Jowan finally spoke up and everyone turned to him.

"But that would make him invincible." Alistair gasped.

"If that is true, then we need to protect Maia with our lives," Leliana went up to Maia and held her hand.

"Agreed. Even if we die trying, she can always bring us back to life. Ah…the power…" Zevran stepped out from behind Sten.

"It is settled then, if the theory proved to be right, the Archdemon must never get his claws on her. It seemed that your betrayal was useful after all. It answered our question to why he brought Maia here." Sarine took her blade our and lightly dragged it across Cullen's armor and it left a light scratch. "However, a betrayal is intolerable. You have a lot of explaining to do and it would be up to the majority whether you stay in our team. If it is insufficient then I shall gladly kill you, Jowan and that mage. Do you understand?" Sarine spoke in a low and firm voice but she had a twinkle in her eyes when she imagined killing he traitors.


	17. Chapter 17:The Verdict

**Chapter 17**

"No! Please don't kill them! I was the one who struck the Warden, they have done nothing wrong. Please…spare them…" Arianna cried out and knelt in front of Sarine.

Sarine was now getting used to humans groveling with her when in the past they did not even want to get close. She was enjoying the change in power but what she really wanted was to free her fellow city elves from the human oppression.

Sarine ignored Arianna's pleas and turned her back as she spoke, "We will keep to our original plan to make camp for the night. I want it done before nightfall. The decision will be made after dinner and any executions will be carried out then. Now get back to your duties!"

Arianna didn't want to further upset Sarine, scrambled to get to her feet and quickly resumed her duty with Leliana. Jowan and Cullen wanted to comfort her but Sten stood in their way and pushed them away. They grudgingly carried out their orders but kept Arianna in their view.

Wynne and Maia assisted Alistair to the campsite and even though it was heavy and bulky, Sarine collected his armor and followed behind them. She was glad that Alistair was alive and the burden of ending the blight no longer rested on her shoulders alone.

Leliana whipped up a simple vegetable stew and everyone ate in silence. Once their bellies were full, Sarine broke the awkward silence when she demanded Cullen and Jowan to plead for their case.

Cullen and Jowan began to plead for their case: They had met in the Tower and even though Templar-Mage relationships were frowned upon, Cullen gravitated towards Jowan and Arianna. All three were around the same age and shared the same ideals. They agreed that treatments towards mages could be better and in order to do that magic should be studied and understood and the knowledge shared with the world. They would meet up in secret and discuss their strategies and plans. However, deep down, Jowan knew that their ideal world is far from becoming a reality and he planned an escape with Arianna without Cullen's knowledge. Both Jowan and Arianna were afraid of a Tranquil future took their chances on a risky escape and didn't want to get Cullen into trouble in case their plans were foiled. At least that way, Cullen could still reshape the future. Once Jowan and Arianna were free, they heard about the Antivan Crows and Arianna wanted to join them. So when Zevran approached, she pounced at the opportunity. Jowan could not see a good future with the Crows and he fell out with Arianna. Even though they regarded each other as siblings, their stubbornness tore them apart and they went on their separate ways. Jowan finally realized how important Cullen was to their little family when he was locked up in the dungeon at Redcliffe. He regretted his decision and wished that he had consulted with Cullen before making any rash actions and their outlook for the future would have been brighter.

Cullen's anger towards Jowan for not informing him of their escape subsided when he realized that they only had good intentions for him and how important he meant to them. He then explained that when he heard about an escaped blood mage, he decided to lie about the Maker telling him to join the Wardens as he had a hunch that it could be Jowan. However, if it turned out otherwise, he would have continued to stay with Sarine and fight the blight.

"That is why I beseech you; please allow me to stay to atone for my sins. I apologize for lying and I will lay down my life to defeat this blight. If I die trying, at least I would have taken some darkspawn out with me." Cullen pleaded as he went down on his knees.

"But if you die, your plans for a better world would die with you." Alistair said solemnly.

"If the blight is not defeated, then there will be no future to be changed." Cullen replied but kept his head hung low.

"What about you? Are you remorseful as well?" Wynne snapped at Jowan.

"He had actually suggested that we inform you of our plan to save Arianna but I was against it. I feared that you might be not agree and even kicked us out. He had faith in your leadership and good nature but my fear clouded my judgment." Cullen said.

Upon hearing his friend stand up for him, Jowan's eyes starting watering and he knelt down beside him. Arianna followed suit and said, "If I had not joined the crows, they would not be in this situation. They were only trying to look out for me. If you need to punish someone, please, punish me. Cullen is a fine warrior and Jowan is an excellent mage and they are both good people with big hearts, they would make fine assets to your team. Please take your time to consider before making a decision."

The silence was deafening while each member figure out their verdict but Sarine snapped them out from their thoughts. "Honestly, I could not care less about your reason. The fact is that you lied from the very beginning and Alistair was killed. If you could do that, you could do anything. A good team would only function optimally when there is absolute trust among the team members. I do not want to turn around in a battle and have you turn against me. Then I would be a fool for keeping you alive."

The traitors knew where this was going and Arianna began sobbing.

"I agree with you, Sarine. However, I was the one who was killed and I hope that my view will take the most weight. Like you said, had it not been for them, we would not have known why Maia was brought here by the Archdemon. Maybe this is the Maker's plan all along. I believe that they sincere in their apology and their desire to defeat this blight." Alistair voiced his opinion in a very serious tone.

Leliana, Wynne and Zevran nodded in agreement at Alistair's statement. Sarine looked around and knew that her team mates were right. They do need all the help they can get but they need to be punished as well to deter other members from doing the same thing. She paced up and down as she thought of the appropriate decision.

"This is my decision: Cullen, Jowan and Arianna, I shall now conscript you into the Grey Wardens. You will leave your past behind and fight towards defeating this blight. You almost caused us an irreplaceable asset, now we have three more. From now on, I want no secrets among us. If you require help, approach me or Alistair. Disobedience and treachery will not be tolerated and the punishment will be instant death. Is that understood?" Sarine's voice boomed into the night.

Everyone nodded accompanied by a couple of audible yes.

"Hmm…Sarine?" Maia raised her hand and asked meekly. "I am not harboring any secrets about my origins but if some magical weird thing happens again, will you kill me?"

Sarine smiled and patted her head, "I won't, and we will find out about your parents together but in the meantime, if you feel the need to bring us back from the dead, by all means, please do."

Alistair wrapped his arm around Maia and gave a light squeeze to reassure her that everything will be alright. "But are you sure about conscripting them? They might not survive the Joining." Alistair whispered to Sarine.

"Hence it's a punishment. We will tell them about it tomorrow." She whispered back. "Get off your knees, the three of you. I want everyone to get a good night's rest. Nothing more shall be said about this and nothing about Maia's powers to be leaked out.

"Ah…we are a happy family once again. This is wonderful. There are so many surprises, next you are going to tell us that you are in love with Arianna. Hahaha…"Zevran teased Cullen. "Then I would be able to teach both you and Alistair the art of a good massage…" he winked at them.

He opened his mouth to share more of his knowledge only to have a rock thrown at him.

"Hahahaha….a feisty one…the ladies would be in good hands …" Zevran laughed and Leliana joined in.


	18. Chapter 18:But that makes five!

**Chapter 18**

Once they had set camp and decided on the order of watch, Sarine decided that she should consult with Maia and Alistair regarding their plans for Haven. As Sarine decided to take the first watch, she called them to the edge of the camp to talk.

"So what can you tell us about Haven? Will there be a lot of resistance?" Sarine opened the discussion.

After taking some time to remember and coming up with a good strategy, Maia decided that it would be in the party's interest that they kill all of the villages. Alistair strongly opposed to the idea as he stated that they shouldn't be taking innocent lives. Maia agreed that they are innocent but their thoughts had been corrupted by a fake revered father who was a ruthless and capable mage. They would be lucky if brother Genitivi was still alive. She added that if they did not strike the first blow, the villages of Haven will not hesitate to kill them all. Sarine listened quietly at their banter and finally agreed with Maia.

"This is a war, if they are as dangerous as you say, then I would rather have them dead than any of my team members. Alistair, I know you are a righteous protector but I need you to strengthen your resolve and look at the big picture. If these people are in our way to the only thing that can help the Arl then you need to carry out your duty." Sarine explained in the hopes of convincing him.

"Who is this is brother Genitivi anyway? Is he a very important person?" Alistair asked suddenly.

Maia explained that he was the expert in lost ruins and had extensively researched the location of the urn. It would be a shame if he was killed and he may not even be near them at the moment since she had basically bypassed his help. But one thing for sure is that a dead Redcliffe soldier who was hot on the trail of the urn would be found murdered in the back room of a store, another reason why it is unwise to keep them alive. Maia suddenly remembered that they should sell their unwanted goods before killing the storekeeper as he would attack them when they go in the back.

"Kill, kill, kill. Is that all that you have in your mind?" Alistair snapped.

"I'm sorry. We will end up killing the whole village because they will try to stop us from getting to the urn." Maia said apologetically. She knew that Alistair was very upset at her plan and she did not want him to hate her but there is no other way and after losing him today, she wanted to make sure that it will never happen again.

Sarine had been digesting the information provided and still had a lot of questions in her mind, so she probed Maia further on their intentions.

Maia took a deep breath to push away her sadness and explained how Kolgrim believed that Andraste had been reborn in a form of a high dragon and that they are breeding them in the caves. Alistair gasped at the audacity of such beliefs and acts that he slowly accepted the idea of annihilating the entire village in case their false teachings spread.

"So basically we will go in and kill everything in sight while fighting our way to the sacred temple. Do we have to kill the high dragon as well?" Sarine asked.

"No, it is not necessary to fight the dragon as it will only attack if we antagonize it. I would prefer if we sneak our way pass it to minimize the unnecessary injuries." Maia shared her opinion hoping that Alistair would approve of her plan and not be mad at her as much.

"That makes sense. As it is, we have an entire village to wipe out and confronting a high dragon would only deplete what little energy we have left." Alistair paused momentarily before continuing. "I would like to volunteer to go into the temple." Alistair smiled.

"I was hoping you would say that. Now we only need one more person, I guess we will find out who it will be tomorrow. Great. It's all set then, we will inform the rest of the plan tomorrow morning.

Morning came and everyone was up at the crack of dawn. Once they had finished breakfast, Sarine asked Alistair to explain the joining ritual to the new recruits while she informed the rest about the plan. Needless to say, the new recruits were shocked to hear about it but understood that there was no other choice apart from getting killed. Alistair then proceeded to update them about the plan for Haven.

"Is everyone clear of the plan? We shall sneak in and assassinate everyone. Zevran, I know that this is your forte, so I am counting on you to lead us. Once we break up into two teams, I would like the rest of you who is not going into the temple to strip the place clean, including herbs. Speaking of which, I still need one more volunteer. It would be perfect if a mage would accompany us." Sarine looked at each of her mages.

"But that is not fair! I would love to visit the holy shrine of Andraste, why would you ask for a volunteer when you already have someone in mind? Who is it? Who is this person who deserve to be in the same room as Andraste?" Leliana argued passionately.

"Technically, it will only be her ashes in the room, in an urn," Alistair thought out loud and Leliana shot him a glance with murder in her eyes.

Zevran laughed under his breath as he slowly made his way to Leliana. "My dear lady, perhaps this person that the Warden has in mind would aid her in her better way than any of us could. If I was in her shoes, I would drag a mage along with me, no volunteering at all."

"And that makes us different, I would like a mage who could perform healing spells because we cannot be a hundred percent sure that things will not get ugly in there. If none of the mages volunteered, I will not drag them, as you say it. It was just a preference." Sarine explained her reason as she looked empathically at Leliana. "I know that there is no one else who deserve to be in her presence, which is why I had already included you in the team."

"But that would make five!" Cullen argued.

"It is up to me on how the teams should be divided. Wynne, I would like you to follow me." Sarine decided that they had wasted valuable time and went straight to the point.

"It would be an honor, Warden." Wynne answered as she lowered her head.

"Does that mean I get to follow?" Leliana asked as her eyes widened and brightened.

"If you don't die on the way there, of course you may," Morrigan said sarcastically. She could not wait to get this done and over with so that she can talk to Maia alone.

Leliana squealed for joy and hugged Sarine unexpectedly. Once she had released Sarine, she went to hug Maia as well.

"Okay, that is settled then. Hond, I need you to stay with Sten and watch over the others okay? Don't let them out of your sight." Sarine knelt beside her Mabari and scratched behind his ears. Hond bark enthusiastically and wagged his tail in response. "Sten, I leave you in charge then."

"I understand. I will not fail you." Sten said.

A/N: thank you everyone for your continued support. It makes me so happy to know that my ideas are not just crazy things in my head running around and making camp. :P

Your reviews keep me going and I appreciate each and every one of them. Work has been overwhelming and I could only manage one chapter per week, I hope. (fingers crossed) I also hope to get my whole idea done by the time DA3 is out! I am so excited about it! Lets hope Alistair comes back!

Till next time, thank you once again for all your support! Have a nice weekend and week ahead!


	19. Chapter 19:Please give me your cloak

**Chapter 19**

The sun's rays barely broke through the clouds in the sky causing overcast and the temperature plummeted to below freezing. As the team hiked on in complete silence, they entered a snow-covered terrain. The air was getting thin and Maia who had been an indoor person her whole life was finding it difficult to breathe.

"I wish I had a portable oxygen tank with me." She mumbled under her breath.

"Huh? You said something, Maia? You okay? You look pale." Leliana asked as she looked over to her.

"I'm just not used to the oxygen level here. I'll be alright. Thank you." Maia forced a smile as she didn't want to be labeled as weak.

Maia was disappointed as Alistair did not notice her discomfort and had ignored her for the entire journey. She began wondering if he was angry at her for suggesting an annihilation of a whole village and if he is, then there is nothing she can do. It was either them or the people she had begun caring for. She heaved a huge sigh of resignation and noticed her breath fogging. She had never liked the cold and secretly hoped that Alistair would show concern and gave her his cloaks.

"Staring at his head will not create a hole in his skull. Well, unless you have magical powers that shoots out from your eyes," Morrigan whispered to Maia.

Maia was embarrassed that Morrigan caught her staring at Alistair, even though technically, she was giving him a longing look but she did not want to correct her. She was already having difficulty in breathing, she did not need any more of Morrigan's smart remarks.

"I'm sure he still cares for you," Leliana whispered which caught Maia unaware. "Maybe he is worried about the Arl. Maybe he wonders about the existence of the urn for without it, the Arl will not be cured." Leliana tried to reassure Maia.

"Or maybe, you can ask him yourself. Problem solved." Morrigan interrupted and Leliana shot a 'shut it' look at her but she just looked ahead and trudged on.

"She got a point." Maia mumbled.

"What? You must be joking. You are actually agreeing with her?" Leliana was appalled at what Maia was saying.

"All of my worries and crazy reasons to why he is ignoring me will only continue and worsen if I don't know the truth and the only way to learn about the truth is to ask him personally," Maia explained but was no longer looking in Alistair's direction. "But now is not the time to ask him. We have a very important mission to accomplish and I do not want to distract him with my trivial concern."

"My, my, we have a good head on our shoulders, don't we? I knew you would agree with me even though I am still unsure why you bother with someone like him to begin with." Morrigan fell back to say her piece and went ahead once more.

"Whatever you choose to do, I will support you." Leliana gave Maia one last reassuring smile before Sarine stopped them.

Sarine dismounted her horse and everyone followed suit. She signaled Leliana, Morrigan and Zevran to her side and everyone else to stay behind.

"Why would she trust that elf so much?" Cullen asked.

"Because he is a trained assassin and we need to go through the village as swiftly as we can." Alistair replied, emotionless while trying to avoid any eye contact.

Alistair, who once had hope and cheer in his eyes no longer resemble who he used to be. He was distant and cold as if he was trying to block out all the assassinations taking place and killing he has to do.

No one said anything and geared themselves for the long fight ahead. As Maia was digging out her cloak, Alistair gently placed his on her.

"Here, use mine. There is no need to go through all that trouble and don't worry about me, this armor is plenty warm." He patted her shoulders and kissed her cheek before walking off.

Maia turned around to thank him and saw Sarine, Leliana, Morrigan and Zevran jogging back and decided to thank him later.

"The village is clear. We should be able to secure the horses there and continue on foot as it gets steeper." Sarine informed them as she grabbed the reins of her horse and guided it up the hill.

"That was quick." Jowan commented.

"There was barely anyone around. Most of them are in the church further up and since a powerful mage will be there, Sarine decided that it is better if we had back up." Leliana answered.

The team hiked up and was welcomed by a dead soldier on the ground. They secured their horses nearby and hiked up to the church. The village was eerily quiet with no animal sounds except for their footsteps and breathing. Soon, a church unfolded before them.

A/N: I apologize for the long delay in update. Things had been rather complicated and busy lately and I had to sort things out. It has settled down now and I will get right back to updating regularly. I have yet to get to the best part… I hope this short chapter will still keep you glued to the story. I will upload a new chapter by the end of the week.

Once again, thank you for your patience and continued support. (",)

Have a great week ahead!


	20. Chapter 20: I'll Freeze You

The ground was covered with a thick layer of snow which in addition to Maia's present breathing difficulty, she was now faced with maintaining her pace with the rest of the group. She secretly wished that she had been more physically fit. Occasionally, she would glance at Alistair only to find him lost in the distance. She knew he wanted nothing to do with the massacre that was about to happen but there was no other way; it was either them or the people she cared about.

As they approached the Chantry, Sarine stopped them and ordered Zevran to scout the building for entrances and the number of enemies. The assassin elf was in his element as he swiftly carried out his orders and returned within a few minutes.

"There is only one entrance to the Chantry and the windows are shut. There is approximately fifteen villagers sitting inside but I do not see this Brother you are talking about. We should be able to take them out without much resistance." Zevran reported, receiving a sneer from Alistair.

Ignoring Alistair's displeasure, Sarine laid out her plan for him and Maia. "Good, good. Maia, I want you to stay hidden outside the Chantry. Your fighting skills may have improved but I want to be cautious. Alistair, please stay with her. In addition to sensing the darkspawn, I'm sure you can handle any cultists that happen to make it outside."

There was no argument and the rest prepared to storm the Chantry. Jowan took point with Sarine and Cullen at his sides. Sten kicked open the huge doors as if it was nothing and Jowan released his freezing spell on everyone. Arrows flew and swords sang. No mercy was present as all the companions took the cultist out one by one. Arianna hesitated with one of the frozen cultist when Zevran appeared behind immobilized cultist and thrust both his daggers into her, shattering her to pieces.

"Hesitation is your enemy. Do not look into their faces and feel nothing for them. Haven't I taught you that? We carry out our orders with no questions asked. Dear Arianna, you must thank the Warden for sparing your life and allowing you to join her, for I do not think you would make a good Crow," Zevran winked at her and twirled his daggers as he strode over to Sarine.

"I _would_ make a good Crow; I killed one of the Wardens, didn't I?" Arianna shouted back at Zevran, frustrated that no one sees her potential.

"I would not be so proud about that if I were you," Alistair angry voice growled as he marched over to her.

"I...I'm sorry..." Arianna stammered as the tall warrior loomed over her, casting his shadow over her.

Cullen hurried to her side and pulled her behind him. "She's young and naïve. Furthermore, being locked up in that tower for years would drive anyone unstable, please forgive her ignorance." Cullen beseeched on her behalf.

Alistair scoffed and shot a glare at Arianna before joining Sarine who was examining the wall at the rear of the Chantry.

"You were right, Assassin, there was no resistance in claiming this area at all. Maybe Sarine made a good choice in recruiting you." Morrigan praised Zevran as she picked up vials of potions on the altar but avoided his gaze.

"Ah my pretty mage, I am good at what I do and I'm sure you have heard rumours of my other expertise. Well, how should I put it, they are not exaggerated in the least," he flirted with Morrigan only to be given a cold shoulder but he laughed it off and began searching for chests to pillage.

"It is a shame we had to kill all of them; I hope the Warden knows what she is doing." Wynne whispered to Leliana who nodded in agreement.

"So where is this rogue Brother you were talking about, Maia?" Alistair asked but received no response. "Maia?"

He rushed to the entrance to look for her but she was nowhere to be found.

"Wasn't she with you?" Leliana ran to him.

Everyone began frantically looking for her but to no avail. "You were in charge of her and yet you let her disappear?! What if she is dead?! I will kill you if she is not found!" Leliana screamed at Alistair whose guilt was plain on his face.

"Calm down Leliana, let's comb the village, we will find her. Move!" Sarine ordered.

They poured out of the Chantry and went back down to the village but were stopped at the foot of the slope.

In the middle of the village was a muscular, bearded man wearing a mage's robe who had Maia suspended in front of him, paralyzed.

"Come any closer and she will die!" He yelled to the companions who were trying to inch forward.

Leliana who was at the front of the group cautiously inched forward, unequipping her weapons and throwing them down.

"I'm unarmed, please, let her go." She begged with tears in her eyes.

"Why should I? Did you show any mercy on my congregation? Did you hesitate in freezing them and shattering them to pieces?" The man yelled back as he shot glares at each of the companions.

"You are right. We did not hesitate. We are murderers, monsters, no different from the darkspawn." Alistair voiced out and that received gasps and disapproval from the group.

"I can see that all of you are very skilled and very strong, if you repent, I am sure Andraste will forgive you. Join me in spreading her teachings." He replied and took a step forward. "I will even let your companion here go." He smirked.

"Who are you?" Sarine asked.

He introduced himself as Brother Erik, the head of the Chantry in Haven. He further explained his belief of Andraste being reborn in a form of a high dragon and that she requires an army to spread her teachings to the whole of Fereldan.

As he continued with his explanation, Jowan crept his way to Sarine and whispered that he had a clear shot to cast a freezing spell on Eirik. He warned that he will not be able to freeze him totally as Erik is stronger than him but it will slow him down enough for the others to get to Maia and land the final blow on him.

Maia nodded in agreement but whispered back that she will give him the signal to strike.

Leliana pretended to be excited at the prospects of Andraste's reborn and kept making her way forward and kept him distracted by asking more questions. Sarine hoped that Leliana would be able to get close enough to Maia to grab her because that would give Jowan a clearer aim at Eirik and she can throw her dagger at his chest.

"You companion here is very powerful. Do you realise that? I sense great power within her and with all you with me; those who refuse to accept our teachings shall be easily eliminated." Eirik's eyes gleamed at the prospects.

Alistair immediately knew that Maia was telling the truth and Eirik's followers needed to be executed in order to save the rest of Fereldan. He felt an immense sense of guilt and shame as he stared helplessly on.

"Powerful? What do you mean?" Wynne asked.

Eirik lowered Maia from her lateral suspension in mid-air and allowed her to levitate vertically in front of him. She was still paralyzed but her eyes were filled with fear as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

"So you do not know? Your friend here-," Eirik began to explain when suddenly his eyes rolled and he threw his head back and screamed.

The group was frozen in shock as they saw Maia's eyes turned solid black and a sudden outburst of power was released from her and Eirik was thrown ten feet away. Jowan ran towards her and cast a spell of binding on Eirik.

"The Archdemon…" Eirik mumbled before exploding as Jowan's blood magic spell took effect.


	21. Chapter 21:I saved her, not you

Chapter 21

"Let go off her you Blood Mage!" Alistair yelled at Jowan as he grabbed him by his collar and pushes him aside, landing Jowan on his back a few metres away.

"I warned you, Warden, he will not stop using blood magic. It will consume him one day and we will be in a greater danger than if the Archdemon was camping with us, " Wynne sighed as she aided Alistair with Maia.

"But…but…he was…" Jowan mumbled while Sarine helped him up.

"That is the most typical reaction of people who do not understand the true powers of a blood mage; tis overdramatized and untrue." Morrigan guffawed as she breezed over to the remains of Eirik's body in search for the amulet that Maia had described. "I do not see the rest of you trying to help Maia out from her predicament. Jowan was the only one who actually did something. Alistair wasn't going to kill anyone and Wynne cannot even hurt a nug. So please, get off your high horse of morality and face the truth; Jowan saved Maia's life." Morrigan addressed them and passed Sarine the amulet she found off of Eirik's dismembered torso.

Sarine took the amulet and nodded in thanks before keeping it in her pouch. She knew that Morrigan was right, if Jowan didn't do what he did, who knows what would become of Maia. But she would have wanted to keep Eirik alive a little bit longer to extract the information he has about Maia. He seemed to have understood her hidden powers and it would have been nice to know whether Maia could be trusted.

"High horse of morality? And this coming from an apostate? The witch of the wilds?!" Wynne was infuriated as she stood up and faced Morrigan, who continued to argue.

"Maia, please wake up." Alistair begged as he laid her in his lap.

"Stop it! All of you!" Sarine ordered. "Jowan, I would rather you not use blood magic unless the circumstance requires it and I believe what we went through warrants your actions but next time, please, try not to," Sarine softly explained to him before turning her attention to Maia.

Jowan felt awful that everyone hated his choice of spell. He knew other powerful spells that could have had the same affect but he was concerned about Maia. He didn't want anything to happen to her and seeing her eyes frozen in fear just breaks his heart. He summoned the most powerful spell he knew at the top of his head at that point of time, it just happened to be a blood magic based spell. However, he was relieved that she was not in danger anymore.

Cullen and Arianna stood beside him and placed their hands on his shoulders. He knew he had their support but why was he still feeling so horrible. He looked over to Maia who was still unconscious and cradled in Alistair's lap and he felt an instant pain in his heart and had to immediately look away.

"You did well there," Cullen whispered and Arianna agreed.

"I'm sure they will accept your actions, eventually," Arianna added.

Jowan sat himself down on a rock beside him feeling dejected.

"Warden, we are wasting precious time, the Blight does not stop to rest, and we shouldn't either." Sten articulated from the foot of the slope.

Sarine was tired from the constant bickering of her group but she knew she needed all of them in order to defeat the Archdemon. She agreed with Sten but explained to him that she requires Maia in order to continue and as soon as she finished explaining, Maia began to come around.

"Maia! Are you alright, my dear?" Alistair asked nervously.

Maia heard Alistair's voice but her vision was blurred. All she could see was hazy shapes, she kept blinking until she could see Alistair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight as tears started flowing down her eyes.

Alistair embraced her and felt her trembling in his arms. "Shh…you're safe now. I got you."

'I saved her, not you,' Jowan thought to himself, feeling cross at Alistair.

"I was so scared. I couldn't move, I thought I was going to die." Maia sniffed.

Alistair gently wiped her tears away with his thumb and gave her a light kiss on the lips.

"She's awake now, let's go. Tis no time to stop and be romantic." Morrigan snickered.

Leliana suddenly let out a squeal and squeezed Maia and Alistair. "I'm glad you are safe, little Mai. I was about to shred someone limb from limb."

"I hope it wasn't me that you had in mind," Alistair said.

"Are you well enough to travel, Maia? We can take a break if you need before we move on." Sarine kneeled in front of Maia but Maia said that she had already wasted too much time and she was ready to carry on.

Sarine was glad that Maia was not terribly hurt and ordered everyone to check their emotions at the door and move on. The group continued their climb up the mountain to search for the entrance to the caves that would lead them to the sacred temple. Maia, Sarine, Alistair, Leliana and Wynne were leading the group; Morrigan, Zevran and Hound were behind them and the rest followed behind.

"You like her, don't you?" Arianna whispered to Jowan.

"Who? Morrigan? She's alright." Jowan whispered back.

"No, not her. Her. Maia." Arianna was surprised how he could be so thick.

"Oh. Maia. She's alright too." Jowan replied but he could feel his face getting warm.

"You're blushing. I knew it. You would not have used blood magic unless you were trying to save someone you care about deeply. The same way you used it for us to escape the tower," she teased him but he kept quiet.

"It's too bad that she is with Alistair," Cullen joined them.

"I agree, I think the two of you look better together anyway." Arianna nudged him with her staff. "I cannot stand him. He's so…"

"Stop whispering the three of you. You are falling behind." Sten's deep voice stopped Arianna in her sentence.

"Here we are! That's the entrance. We need to be very careful from now on. It's dark in there and there are armed cultist and drakes." Maia warned them.

"Drakes? The fun never ends with you. And how do you know of this?" Zevran cocked one eyebrow up, smiling coyly at Maia.

"Do not question her knowledge Zevran. If there should be anyone who questions her, it will be me." Sarine ordered.

"You are one feisty elf, my dear lady and so tense, you will have to allow me to massage those tense muscles away," Zevran winked at Sarine.


	22. Chapter 22: Why mages?

As they reached the temple entrance, Sarine ordered everyone to recollect themselves before the long arduous battle that they will be up against. But unbeknownst to all, Sarine actually wanted to talk to Maia and plan a strategy before heading in.

"Maia, what are your thoughts about moving forward into this temple?" Sarine whispered to Maia who was huddled in a blanket with Alistair beside her.

"Yes, my dear, I would like to know the enemies that we will be facing. As they said, knowing your enemy is half a battle won." Alistair winked at her.

"My, my, seems like our 'protector of the innocent' has decided to listen to Maia afterall?" Morrigan snorted as she sat beside Sarine.

Alistair ignored her comment as he knew he was wrong in not putting his trust in Maia and that almost got her killed. He vowed in his heart that he will not allow any harm to come to Maia and in this dark and war torn times, he should trust the woman he loved.

As if Maia read his mind, she merely smiled at Morrigan and held Alistair's hand, squeezing it to let him know that she loved him no matter what.

"Well? Maia?" Sarine asked again as she peered into her face.

"There will be mages with powerful freezing spells and some could even conjure up Ash Wraiths which could do some heavy damage to us. They would also have skilled archers, assassins who love sneak attacks and annoyingly strong warriors. But the worse enemy of all are the wrymlings and drakes." Maia squeezed Alistair's hand hard.

"We will survive this, my dear. I will protect you with my life," Alistair kissed the back of her hand.

Morrigan rolled her eyes and crossed her arms at the display of affection.

"Would you be able to draw us a map of the temple?" Sarine asked as she tries to think of the best approach to tackle the enemies.

Maia looked down and shook her head. She couldn't remember the map well enough and didn't want to lead them on. Sarine knew she was asking too much and patted Maia on her head thanking her for all the information she had provided.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Maia suddenly sat up straight. "We will be entering a cave system and we will meet someone like Brother Eirik, his name is Kolgrim. He believes that the high dragon at the top of the mountain is Andraste and would want us to join him. I suggest to just kill him, because, if we don't, he will call upon the dragon to kill us later on."

"Is he a mage like Eirik?" Sarine asked as she thought about what he had said before his untimely death. She would definitely had benefited from the information he had about Maia.

"No, he is just a warrior." Maia replied with a frown.

"So, this is the village all over again? Can you handle all the upcoming slaughter, Mr upholder of justice?" Morrigan snarked.

"Yes, yes I can. I know now that Maia has been telling the truth and if killing them would aid us in our quest and benefit, I would gladly carry out my duty." Alistair replied calmly as he held Maia's hands and gazed lovingly into her eyes.

"Ugh. You sicken me. Make sure you don't get in my way." Morrigan scoffed and walked off as she realised her snipe comments were not annoying Alistair.

Sarine pretended to cough out loud to snap the lovebirds back to reality. She called everyone near and after much deliberation, Sarine decided that the rest of her party members should be informed of the upcoming enemies they may face so they will not be caught offguard. Some of them were sceptical of her information and wondered where she is getting it from. But since most of them have no other choice, they each began thinking of how to deal with the different types of enemies.

Sarine suggested that the mages should focus on casting freezing spells and mind blast spells, basically any spells that could slow or freeze the enemies. She added that everyone who is skillful with the archery, namely Leliana, should take down any long ranged enemies, especially mages.

"But why mages? Why does everyone want to kill mages first?" Arianna asked, feeling angered.

"Because of the harm that our spells could inflict, young one." Wynne explained with no hint of hatred in her tone.

"Wynne is right. This cult believes that Andraste has been reborn and they would do anything to anyone who gets in their way. There is no telling what kind of dangerous spells they have in their arsenal." Leliana supported.

"Zevran, I want you to be in charge of detecting and disarming any traps with me. We will lead the party, but at my pace." Sarine ordered.

"I would go to the ends of the world with you, my dear Warden," Zevran gracefully bowed to Sarine whose face was beginning to turn red.

"Woof!"

Sarine couldn't expect a better timing from Hond, she rubbed his neck and patted his head, "You have to be up front with me too." And that made Hond happy.

Sarine took the locket and gently fit it in the groove of the huge door. It rumbled, covering everyone in dust as it slowly slide opened.

Everyone was tense as they walked into the temple but they were greeted with magnificent architectures and the air of mystery.

"So this is the fabled Ruined Temple, does this mean the Urn of Andraste is real?" Leliana's eyes twinkled as she looked around.


	23. Chapter 23:Thank you for pointing it out

Sarine's party were greeted by beautiful architecture, exquisitely carved arches and tall columns. Even though little sunlight peeked through the stained windows and the floor covered with dust and broken pieces of the temple itself, the atmosphere still breathed an air of magnificence.

"I cannot believe that this place is real. But knowing that Brother Eirik's cult has tainted it just makes me angry," Alistair held his anger in and made a fist.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by and landed right beside Arianna's head who was now ghostly pale.

"Everyone get down!" shouted Sarine.

The party scrambled to find cover from the waves of arrows that had befallen them. Sarine scanned the hall downstairs and saw archers letting loose their arrows furiously and mages came running in from the other rooms. They needed to act fast or they will be severely outnumbered.

"Mages, cast your cold spells now! Their back up of mages are about to unleash their spells. We need to neutralize them!" Sarine ordered her party.

Morrigan, Jowan and Arianna stood up with Sten and Cullen providing them cover as they cast their spells of cold and lightning upon the enemies below.

Leliana and Sarine took aim at the enemy mages and took them down one by one before they could do much damage.

"Call for reinforcements! Bring down their mages!" One of the Reavers called out before an arrow lodged itself in between his eyes and he fell forward, pushing the arrow deeper into his skull.

Zevran threw poison flasks, laughing and counting as he did. "Courtesy of the Antivan Crows! A-ha!"

As the enemies were slowed down by the cold spells and coughing from the poison, Sarine's party kept with their long ranged attacks.

"Is it safe for us to head downstairs, Zevran?" Cullen asked as he raised his shield at the oncoming arrows.

"It is now, my friend," Zevran replied as he vanished into the shadows.

"Good, I would very much like to end this fight quickly." Sten said while swinging his sword and deflecting the arrows and made his way down.

Cullen quickly followed Sten as waves of Reaver warriors and assassin came running into the fight.

"Maia, stay here and stay hidden. I'm going down there to help them." Alistair hugged Maia before running down the stairs, brandishing his sword and shield.

Clangs of steel reverberated through the hall as swords and shields clashed. Screams and grunts were heard as blood spew everywhere and suddenly there's silence.

Maia peeked around the boulder where Alistair had left her and all she could see is the floor painted red with blood. Corpses with decapitated heads, torso and limbs were littered all over. The sight of utter carnage almost made her threw up but she held it in, believing that as long as she does not take deep breaths in, she will be alright. Slowly she stood up from her hiding place and made her way to the rest of her party. Wynne was casting rejuvenation spells on those who needed while Jowan and Arianna replenished their supply of mana.

"Great work everyone. Although it took us some time, all of us managed to survive this unharmed," Sarine praised her party.

Morrigan walked up to a huge door with ornate carvings on it. "Are we going through here?"

"Can the door be opened?" Cullen asked.

"It looks at though it is locked. I am unable to move it." Sten replied as he stepped back from the door.

"Great. All that fight for nothing," sighed Arianna.

"Don't give up yet, Arianna. I know there is a key in one of the rooms here, we just have to find it," Maia turned to Sarine.

"It looks as though we have taken out quite a number of them, I believe it is safe for us to split up into two groups to search for the key. We will meet up here again. Do not take too long, we need the ashes to cure Arl Eamon," suggested Sarine.

And so the two groups were formed and off they went into opposite directions in search of the key. Sarine was right as each teams only had to take care of a couple of stranglers and soon Sarine found a large golden key locked inside an intricately carved golden chest. As Alistair and Sarine were looking through the other chests, Maia stood beside Jowan.

"Hey Jowan, a little bird told me that you saved me from Brother Eirik. I just want to thank you," Maia whispered as they looked on the rest.

"A little bird? Haha, it was nothing," Jowan laughed awkwardly and his ears felt hot.

"Jowan? You're a mage, right?" Maia asked nervously.

Jowan felt his face and gasped, "Oh my! I didn't know I was a mage, thank you for pointing it out," he joked.

Maia giggled at his silliness and realised at her absurd question but she felt comfortable and relaxed with him.

Jowan felt warm under his collar when he saw Maia's smile. 'She has a beautiful smile,' he thought to himself.

"I've been hearing voices ever since I woke up from Eirik's attack," Maia whispered, looking down and rubbing her hands.

Jowan snapped out from his daze, "Voices? Does Alistair know?"

"No, I don't know how to tell him. He don't particularly like mages and I don't want our relationship to be strained," she said with tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't know what to tell you, Maia. Maybe you could be a mage but I have never felt the power that you unleashed with Eirik though," Jowan thought hard.

"Power? What power?" Maia was shock at the information.

"Maia! Stay away from him. I don't trust him!" Alistair marched over and grabbed Maia by her arm, forcefully pulling her behind him. "And I would appreciate it very much if you do not get too close to her."

"Calm down Alistair! We are a team. We cannot afford any cracks to form," Sarine ordered.

"My dear Sarine, we should consider keeping our treasures in this chest and room before heading deeper into the temple. This way, we don't have to lug the extra weight and it should increase our performance," Zevran suggested.

Sarine thought about it and agreed at the great idea.


	24. Chapter 24: Scooping the poop?

The two teams met up in the main hall after stashing their loot in the room with the golden chests. Leliana used the key to unlock the door but Sten, Cullen and Alistair had to work together to inch the door open. They could only barely open the door to snuggly fit Sten through. The entrance lead to another great hall with corridors of rooms. This time, however, they decided to clear the rooms together as a team and with their encounter with the enemy previously, they had learnt to take out the mages and long ranged attackers first while the warriors dispose of their muscle power. Once all the rooms were cleared and their loot safely hidden away, they crept into a tunnel that does not look like it belonged to the temple's original design.

"From this point on, we might have to fight against wrymlings and drakes," Maia cautioned her party.

"Well, I hope they don't keep a fully grown dragon in here as well," Wynne whispered.

"Yes, imagine the amount of poop they would have to scoop out," Alistair joked.

"Yes, Alistair, only you would think of scooping poop out," Morrigan said sarcastically, which made Maia shake from a silent laughter.

"Focus everyone!" Sarine said sternly.

Sarine stopped her party and scouted ahead with Zevran. Both hid in the shadows and disappeared from sight but they could see the enemies falling over silently, one after another. Everyone looked at each other as if to acknowledge what great assassins the two elves were and with the two of them working together, taking the enemies down swiftly and with no resistance, the area was soon devoid of opposition.

Suddenly, the two elves appeared in front of them, as if by magic and motioned that it was safe to move on. The party entered a clearing with tables full of dragon eggs and empty cages all around.

"I wonder what all these cages were used for?" Arianna asked.

"I think the most important question is where are all the creatures that were locked up in the cages?" Cullen kicked a cage over.

The fallen cage created a loud clanging noise that echoed in the walls of the caves and all of a sudden, faint screeches were heard from a distant corner of the tunnel. They formed a circle with mages and Maia in the middle while the warriors created a barrier for whatever was coming towards them. Shields and swords were at the ready position and arrows locked on the entrance of the tunnel. Wynne casted weapon enchantment spells and rejuvenated everyone. The room was filled with adrenaline as the screeches got louder and louder.

"There!" Leliana shouted as she let loose an arrow and soon the party saw what they were up against: Wrymlings, and lots of them.

Cold spells flew across the clearing and slowed the wrymlings down. Arrows buried themselves into the soft hide of the wrymlings and screams of pain filled the air. Battle cries now echoed in the space as the warriors stormed towards the wrymlings, gracefully dodging their razor sharp claws and fang lined maws.

Sten even managed to grab a wrymling by the tail and swung it around, hitting the rest which sent them flying to the walls. Maia, tried her best to help the fight as she let loose a few arrows but none seem to connect with her targets. It was her first time seeing wrymlings in the flesh and even though they are baby dragons, they still commanded respect and fear. She could not help her hands from trembling as she was taking aim but at least she didn't hit any of her comrades.

Cullen let out a victory cry as he beheaded the last wrymling. The ground was now soaked red from all the blood but thankfully none from Sarine's party. A satisfied look was shared as they look on their kill; their first encounter with a rare enemy and they worked well as a team.

No words were spoken as the team caught their breaths. Arrows that could still be used were dislodged from the dead carcasses and cleaned. They maintained their formation as they cautiously made their way through the tunnel. Soon, they were able to see light but they kept to the walls of the tunnel, hiding in the shadows as best they could, ever ready to fight.

Sarine peeked around the corner and saw a huge hall with columns. It looked empty and quiet, a little too quiet. They filed into the hall, sticking to the walls and shadows. There was a tunnel seen east of the hall and they slowly made their way. As soon as they were about to reach, a loud growl was heard from the opposite side of the hall. They turned around to see a drake charging at full speed, teeth bared, jaws snapping.

"Spread out!" Sarine ordered as she disappeared into the shadows.

Alistair grabbed Maia and hid her behind a column before running out to face the drake.

Spells of cold and ice were cast at the drake, who was merely slowed down. Arrows could barely penetrate through its tough hide and no one could get close enough to land any blows. Its long, spiny tail was slashing about and its jaws filled with rows of razor sharp teeth kept snapping.

"Do not get close to its' mouth or legs, it will pin you down and take your head off!" Screamed Maia.

"Stay back Maia!" Alistair shouted as he was tossed aside like a rag doll by the tail, saved only by his heavy armor.

Zevran was seen clambering up the back of the drake, digging his daggers in between the scales to get a firm hold. But that only resulted in the drake redoubling its' effort to shake him off. Everyone was working hard as a team to take the drake down but it seemed like a losing fight. Orders and screams could be heard as they tried different tactics.

Maia who had been looking on in fear from behind the column suddenly heard her name being called. At the back of the hall was a stone stage with a huge door and she felt compelled to walk towards it. She didn't know why, but her body moved on its own. Her comrades who were fighting for their lives did not matter to her anymore. Their screams got softer and softer until it was absolute silence.


	25. Chapter 25: The moment of bite?

Nothing mattered to Maia other than what was laid hidden behind the door. She was no longer trembling in fear but instead felt peaceful n calm. The door opened and out came a bigger drake than the first one.

"Maia!" Jowan screamed as he scrambled to get off the ground and set off running towards her.

His sudden reaction caused his party to turn to the direction he was heading to; Maia was walking towards another bigger drake.

"Maia! What are you doing?! Get back from that creature!" Alistair now joined Jowan in his sprint but both were stopped short.

A barrier was surrounding Maia and the drake and they could not get through, no matter what they did.

"The rest of you focus on this drake! It seems to be weakening! We can do this!" Sarine shouted at the rest of her party, desperate to keep everyone alive. At that point, she was willing to sacrifice Maia, even if it meant the rest of her party could survive. She would have lost a huge asset and advantage to her party but finding excellent and willing fighters were harder.

Even though Jowan and Alistair desperately tried to call out to her, Maia could hear nothing. Her gaze was focused on the drake. Smoke was seen coming out from its nostrils but no fangs were bared. They inched closer together, maintaining eye contact. The two of them were inches away from each other when they stopped.

Jowan and Alistair held their breath as they expected the drake to chew her head off.

"NO! MAIA! WAKE UP!" Alistair screamed as he pounded his shield at the barrier but to no avail.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party was struggling to keep the drake slowed down. With Jowan and Alistair away from the fight, Arianna and Morrigan found it difficult to keep the drake slowed down and Wynne had to constantly heal everyone. Their supply of mana was running out fast. They need to put an end to this soon. Zevran was no longer on the back of the drake, he was thrown off when his attention was distracted by Jowan's screams. Everyone looked as though they are getting tired from the fruitless fight but the drake just got more furious with its attacks. Leliana barely missed the fangs when she slipped but Sten was there with his long sword who hit the jaw away, in time for Leliana to flee.

Maia could see how clear and beautiful the drake's eyes were. The longed iris was amber in color and it seemed to be burning bright with fire. The tough skin around the eyes framed the fiery sight like a painting. She felt a sudden urge to touch it. With a calm and steady hands, she raised her right hand and stopped momentarily, as if waiting for a permission from the drake. With a nod of the head, Maia touched it's snout.

A huge and powerful burst of energy was released into the hall, which sent everyone flying and the other drake stunned. With a blink of an eye, the drake Maia was touching, leaped over her head, carefully missing her and charged at the smaller drake. With its fangs bared, and jaws wide open, Maia's drake chomped on the neck of the smaller drake which caused it to scream in pain. Maia's drake's powerful claws dug into the abdomen of the small one and intestines were ripped apart. With a twist of the neck, the small drake's head was pulled apart from its body, blood gushed out from the neck and dripped along the victorious drake's teeth and jaws.

It trotted over to Maia and dropped the head of the fallen drake in front of her.

"What. In. The. Name. Of. Andraste?" Leliana managed to force the words out as she covered her mouth from shock.

Author's Note:

I would like to thank everyone for reading and enjoying my version of DA:O. Thank you to all who followed me and wrote reviews. Symphonic tune, thank you for the words of encouragement. You made me eager to get more chapters up as soon as I could. Please carry on to support Maia and our heroes. More surprises are coming so stay tuned!

Once again, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I am truly humbled by all the support. I had lost myself and now I'm found.

THANK YOU 3 (^_^)


	26. Chapter 26: Trust issues

"What do you think you are doing?" Morrigan asked in an annoyed tone. "You keep zoning out and doing weird and unexplained things which endangers not only you but the rest of us as well." She narrowed her eyes at Maia.

"I wouldn't normally agree with Morrigan but she does have a point. You could have gotten yourself killed and what did that drake do to you?" Alistair asked, feeling very worried indeed.

Maia had been standing beside her drake, patting it's head for the good kill it had achieved. Her eyes were solid black and she was smiling gently at it.

"I'm not sure what had happened but I was drawn to Drako," she finally spoke after minutes of silence and her eye colour was slowly turning back to normal.

"Drako? Who is Drako, Maia?" Jowan asked as he moved cautiously towards them.

"Jowan! Come back! Don't act foolishly! She has lost her mind, that bmight could kill you!" Arianna called out and tried to run to him but was held back firmly by Cullen.

"it's okay. It's just Maia. I trust her," Jowan reassured her.

"He's Drako. He was born this cave and brought up by the crazy cultists. He knew that they were a band of crazy and bad people but he couldn't convince the rest of his kind. He had been trying to escape but they had been unsuccessful. His wish is to soar in the wide blue sky," Maia explained as she kept on petting him.

"And how do you know this?" Alistair asked as he made his way to the odd pair. If Jowan trusted Maia, he should trust her more.

"It's more like a vibe that he's giving me. It's hard to explain but it's similar to the darkspawn incident. But I know that we can trust him and he would very much want to aid us in our quest," Maia turned to her companions while her right hand still patting Drako who was now sprawled out beside her like a dog.

Leliana had been observing Drako decided to join Maia. She knelt in front of Drako and stared into his eyes. He looked up at her and nudged her gently but she fell backwards from his brute strength. She sat there shocked but was laughing her heart out.

"Aww, can we keep him? Maia is right, he will not hurt us," she patted him excitedly.

The rest watched in awe and they slowly gathered around Drako.

"Are you sure he won't turn around and bite our heads off like what he did to he other drake?" Wynne asked.

"I'm sure, I swear," Maia held her fingers up. "Pet him here, he likes it most when you scratch above his nostril," she encouraged them.

"He did take care of that other drake for us and having such a powerful ally is not a bad idea at all," Zevran rationalized.

"I agree. Let's bring Drako with us," Cullen cheered.

"You are crazy to trust that beast. He is wild and untamed. That girl could not control him. I do not agree on keeping him like a pet," Sten voiced his views.

"He is not a beast! And I am not crazy! I do not need to control him because he does not require any controlling. He's my friend!" Maia stood up to the tall Qunari who decided to ignore her.

"So, apart from darkspawns and dragons, could you talk to cows, nugs and mabari?" Alistair stood behind her, rubbing her arms to calm her down.

"Yes, ask Hond if Alistair smell exactly like him?" Morrigan smirked as she pets Drako.

Maia laughed and shook her head, "No, I don't believe I could speak to any of those animals and if I could talk to Hond, he would say that Alistair smells wonderful," she looked lovingly into his eyes.

"Both of you disgust me, get a room," Morrigan rolled her eyes.

"Would you like some pointers, dear Alistair? I could turn you into a wild beast! A-ha," Zevran winked.

Alistair ignored the cheeky elf and walked away.

"I won't need any pointers to keep Maia satisfied," Jowan mumbled to himself.

"Okay, enough joking around, I have decided to bring Drako along. I trust Maia and so should the rest of you. Let's move along, we have wasted more than enough time," Sarine ordered.


End file.
